Airing woes

WITH the air in France turning out to be a potential killer, the government has decided to develop 'green pqtrol' by AD 2000. The bio-fuel will contain organic elements such as diester, derived from rapeseed, and ethanol, -extracted fr 'or beetroot. The bio-fuel canreportedly reduce the emission of pollutants like carbon monoxide.

The authorities in Paris are even toying with the idea of creating two ,bicycle lanes cutting across north-south and east-west of Paris to encourage cycling. Paris, which figures in the list of ten most polluted cities in Europe, has Airing woes some 54 to 83 people dying on account of its highly polluted air which causes fatal respiratory diseases.

French ecologists are, however, highly critical of the government's moves to curb pollution. They belittle the fact that pollution measurements are often made well above the street level which fails to reflect the actual concentrations, choking pedestrians and cyclists. They want that laws on pollution should be made more effective which could mean a direct confrontation with powerful Jobbies like industrialists and carmakers.