NEW YORK – Hot summer days in the city have always been accompanied by a familiar scene: the sweet sound of an ice cream truck rolling down the block, but behind the upbeat tune and the promise of tasty ice cream, There is a problem that has been affecting urban communities: the pollution and noise generated by these trucks.
While ice cream may be sweet, the loud rumble and exhaust fumes emitted by trucks are not.
Air pollution and excessive noise have been a concern in urban areas, and ice cream trucks are no exception.
In the midst of these challenges, an innovative idea has emerged: why not power these trucks with clean energy instead of using diesel generators that emit noxious gases and noise?
The idea of using electric batteries or power directly drawn from the electrical grid to power ice cream trucks has gained traction in recent times.
This concept is inspired by an effort that has been underway for more than a decade in New York: the reconfiguration of food carts and trucks to reduce their pollution and make them more environmentally friendly.
Air pollution, a public health problem
Exposure to particles and other types of airborne pollutants can aggravate heart and lung diseases, and have a negative impact on people’s quality of life.
In the case of ice cream trucks, the emission of harmful gases from diesel generators can contribute to the accumulation of particles in the air and increase the risks to people’s respiratory health, especially in densely populated areas.
In addition to air pollution, the constant noise from diesel generators is also a problem affecting urban communities.
Exposure to high noise levels can cause a number of health problems, including hearing loss, stress, and sleep problems.
Typically operating in residential neighborhoods and crowded areas, ice cream trucks contribute significantly to the city’s noise pollution.
Faced with these challenges, the idea of replacing diesel generators in ice cream trucks with cleaner, quieter sources of power has been floated.
Councilor proposes banning the use of diesel
Councilman Lincoln Restler, representing the borough of Brooklyn, introduced a bill that seeks to ban the use of fossil fuel generators in ice cream trucks to power their equipment.
Under the proposal, this measure would take effect in three years, allowing ice cream truck owners to transition to more sustainable energy systems.
Restler emphasizes that the goal is to provide a reasonable amount of time for business owners to transition responsibly. “Our three-year term gives business owners plenty of time to make a responsible transition,” Restler says.
In addition, he highlights that this change not only benefits the environment, but can also serve as a model for the electrification of other types of mobile food trucks.
While the proposal to use clean energy in ice cream trucks is welcomed by health experts and the community at large, ice cream truck owners raise legitimate concerns about the feasibility and costs of this transition.
The investment cost to replace diesel generators with cleaner power systems is one of the challenges ice cream van and food truck vendors face.
Another major challenge is the charging infrastructure needed to keep electric ice cream trucks and food trucks running.
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2/12
At least two people have died from causes associated with the snowfall, Erie County Executive Mark Poloncarz reported on his Twitter account.
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3/12
The bad weather is the product of what is known as snow due to the ‘lake effect’ in the Great Lakes area of the United States, which in this case is being especially harsh. “The snow will at times be accompanied by lightning, gusts and (precipitation) rates of about three inches per hour,” the NWS said.
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4/12
The worst snowfall has been recorded south of Buffalo, where the National Weather Service (NWS) reported that more than 60 centimeters of snow have been presented in places such as suburban Hamburg and Orchard Park.
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5/12
New York Governor Kathy Hochul declared a state of emergency last Thursday for some western areas affected by these storms caused by icy winds that pick up moisture from warmer lakes and dump snow in narrow bands.
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6/12
The state of emergency for parts of western New York spans 11 counties, with commercial truck traffic banned on a stretch of Interstate 90. Schools in the region remained closed, while numerous flights landing or departing from the international airport from Buffalo had to be cancelled.
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7/12
Seeing the response of the public, Hochul said this Friday that she feels “proud of the inhabitants of western New York for having heeded our call,” because that way “we were able to add salt, clear the roads better than we would have done with traffic”.
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8/12
For his part, Buffalo Mayor Byron Brown asked people to stay off the roads in the south of the state, where public and private snowplows were deployed to try to open the streets.
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9/12
“When the snow is falling at 3 to 4.5 inches per hour, you can’t beat it,” Brown warned drivers at a news conference. “You’re going to get stuck,” he warned.
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10/12
The National Weather Service (NWS) has warned accumulations of 2 feet or more of snow in northern New York, on the eastern edge of Lake Ontario, and in parts of northern Michigan through Sunday. These types of accumulations were also observed in parts of Pennsylvania.
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11/12
JoAnn Cavanaugh, a spokeswoman for Catholic Health, which runs several health centers in the area, said they had prepared ahead of time for this storm. “We’ve made sure our supplies are stocked — food and things for our patients as well as associates,” she said.
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12/12
Eight years ago, the City of Buffalo had another dramatic experience related to a snowstorm that hit the city in November 2014, delivering 6.5 feet over several days, collapsing roofs and trapping motorists.
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2023-08-19 16:35:31
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