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Originally Posted by RustyLugNut
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The information the EPA has here seems somewhat misleading. From what I remember about my chemistry, N20 (nitrous oxide) is a powerful reducer of ozone and is considered an 'ozone depleting chemical' similar to R-12. Of course we have to make the distinction about 'good ozone' and 'bad ozone' here. 'Good ozone' being the ozone found high up in the atmosphere that blocks UVB, and 'bad ozone' found at ground level (and is considered a pollutant). One could argue that the presence of N2O at ground level has a beneficial effect with its respect towards its interaction with ozone at ground level. NO (nitric oxide) is a free radical and has a very short half life most likely ending up as NO2 (the red gas, nitrogen dioxide). And NO2 reacts with water in the atmosphere to make nitric acid (HNO3). Which most likely ends up in the soil (from rain), and again could arguably be considered a benefit to plant life by fixing nitrogen to the soil.
Not that I'm arguing for [I]increased[I] emissions of NOX. I grew up in Southern California in the 1960's and '70's and remember the brown cloud and the sore throats and tight chests from it. It's no fun using your lungs as a nitric acid factory. Just bringing up the point that there are always two sides to every argument but logic doesn't always dictate the winner.
The driving public and consumer are just low lying fruit with respect to how the EPA imposes its rules and regulations. If you look at the big picture, ocean shipping probably contributes more to global air pollution in one day than all automobiles driven in the United States in an entire year. Typical ocean transports are virtually unregulated with respect towards exhaust emissions and they use the worst fuel imaginable for propelling their loads of freight from mainland china to your local Wal Mart. Most of the ships fire their boilers with 'bunker oil'. The bottom of the refining tree residue that unusable for anything else because of sulphur content, mercury, etc. Burning tires probably pollutes less than burning 'bunker oil'.