At a press conference yesterday, the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) announced that the last country to use leaded petrol, Algeria, has now stopped using the fuel.
“The successful enforcement of the ban on leaded petrol is a huge milestone for global health and our environment,” said Inger Andersen, UNEP's executive director.
UNEP had been leading a two decade-long campaign to ban leaded fuel, which has been shown to cause numerous health problems in humans. Current estimates suggest that leaded fuel bans save more than 1.2 million lives annually around the world, while helping the global economy avoid $2.4tr in healthcare expenses and other costs.
Scientists at General Motors first started adding lead to fuel in 1921 as a way to stop 'knocks' in their vehicles’ engines that could vibrate the engine wildly enough to damage it. The lead move also increased fuel economy and boosted the overall performance of the engine. However, the increasing...