The Environmental Cost of Cuba’s Vintage Cars

Posted on by Defensive Driving | in Defensive Driving Online, news

As news of Cuba’s borders opening continues to dominate the news cycle in the U.S., so too has Cuba’s vibrant culture. With airlines scheduling flights from the U.S. to Cuba starting this fall, many American’s will get the chance to visit a country that was closed off for much of their lives, while others can venture home for the first time since leaving Cuba. As such, part of Cuba’s charm and culture is the brightly colored vintage cars that line the streets in Havana. Tourist can take a ride in these taxis along the coast that, for the most part, all have their vintage parts intact.

However, a NBC News report looked into the the environmental hazards these pre-1960 American vintage cars and their diesel exhaust they produce. Simply put, these fumes are polluting the city. Thanks to economic reforms in the 90’s and 00’s, now it’s easier and more affordable for Cubans to buy diesel engines to better power their vintage cars and put them back on the streets, which is adding to the pollution crisis.

The article explains, “Unfortunately, the combination of low-grade diesel and older engines with no emissions control is causing a major environmental problem for the city. You can see the black clouds of diesel exhaust discharging behind every old car. With the economy picking up, there are more and more cars on the road. The stink of burnt diesel is everywhere. And since most homes and restaurants don’t have air conditioning, there is no way to escape the fumes.”

You can read more about it here.

For more news, as well as fun facts, defensive driving courses, competitions, and other cool stuff, follow DefensiveDriving.com on Facebook and Pinterest.

|

Customer Reviews

Defensivedriving.com has a ShopperApproved rating of 4.6 based on 136798 ratings and reviews.

Christina Martinez Texas, united states
Good
Thomas Richter TX, United States
easy
Sharie Blanton TX, United States
Very informative and easy to follow. Excellent information. I like the self paced component of the course.
JUAN LUIS PEREZ SOBERON TEXAS, united states
Very good
Alexander Rivera united states
Very easy to navigate
William Martin None, united states
Very,very easy
Tiffany Nichols None, united states
Love it
vivian bishop None, united states
10/10
See all reviews on shopperApproved.com
Why DefensiveDriving.com
  • 20 Years in Business
  • Over 2 Million Customers Served
  • Highest Possible Better Business Bureau Rating
  • Award Winning Course