IN THE PAST FEW MONTHS THERE HAVE BEEN MANY CALLS FOR MORE FUEL EFFICIENT CARS FROM CONSERVATION GROUPS AND GOVERNMENT OFFICALS.THE EPA WANTS TO MAKE AUTOMOBILES MORE FUEL EFFICIENT TO CONSERVE DIMINISHING SUPPLIES OF FOSILE FUELS AND TO PROTECT THE ENVIRONMENT. THE IRONY TO THIS APPROACH IS THAT LONG AGO THE SOCIETY OF AUTOMOTIVE ENGINEERS BEGAN AN ANNUAL CONTEST FOR ENGINEERING STUDENTS TO SEE WHO COULD MAKE THE MOST FUEL EFFICIENT ENGINE THAT COULD TRANSPORT ONE PERSON. THIS PRIZE WAS WON IN 1996 BY THE STUDENTS FROM UNIVERSITE DE SHERBOOKE WHOM USING A BRIGGS AND STRATTON GAS ENGINE WERE ABLE TO RUN THEIR ONE MAN CAR FOR 962.63 MILES ON ONE GALLON OF GAS!XXX
ALSO LOST IN THE PLETHORA OF LAWS AND REGULATIONS WAS THE APPLICATION FOR NEARLY 6000 PATENTS FOR IMPROVING CARBURATION THAT NEVER SAW "THE LIGHT OF DAY". ONE THING THAT WAS PASSED WAS THE CONGRESSIONAL MANDATE IN 1975 THAT ALL CARS BE FITTED WITH CATALYTIC CONVERTERS. THE INTENT BEING TO REDUCE THE AMOUNT OF VEHICLE EMISSIONS. THE ONLY PROBLEM IS FOR THE CATALYTIC CONVERTER TO WORK IT MUST BE HEATED UP TO 600 DEGREES BY THE ENGINE. WHILE THIS HEATING OCURS 60-80 PERCENT OF THE POLUTING EMISSIONS OCCUR.
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AMIDST ALL THIS EMPHASIS ON REDUCING THE EMISSIONS OF PASSENGER CARS IS THE APPARENT IGNORING BY EPA AND THE ENVIRONMENTAL CONTROLLED CONGRESSMEN AND WOMEN OF THE DAMAGING AFFECTS OF THE WORST POLUTER OF ALL. THE DIESEL ENGINE. DIESEL FUEL USE IN CITY BUSES,SCHOOL BUSES, TRUCKS, TRAINS AND SHIPS PRODUCE SULFUR DIOXIDE AND NITROUS OXIDES WHICH ARE THE MAJOR CONTRIBUTORS OF THE SMOG WE ARE FORCED TO BREATH. THIS FACT WAS PRINTED IN THE NATIONAL RESOURCES DEFENSE COUNCILS ANNUAL REPORT IN 2005.
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"DIESEL FUEL CAUSES INCREASED ASTHMA ATTACKS, INCREASED BRONCHITIS, HEART DISEASE AND SOME CANCERS. DOCTOR JOHN MILLER AN EMERGENCY ROOM PHYSICIAN IN SAN PEDRO, CALIFORNIA LOCATED NEAR THE MAJOR SEAPORTS OF LONG BEACH AND LOS ANGELES CALLS HIS AREA "THE DIESEL DEATH ZONE"! EIGHTY PERCENT OF THIS AIR POLLUTION IS CAUSED BY SHIPS RUNNING THEIR DIESEL ENGINES WHILE LOADING AND UNLOADING CARGO IN PORT TO PRODUCE ELECTRICITY, AND BY THE THOUSANDS OF DIESEL TRUCKS THAT LOAD AND UNLOAD AT THE PORTS.
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IT IS PREDICTED THAT THERE ARE THIRTEEN MILLION DIESEL ENGINES IN THE UNITED STATES PRODUCING POLLUTANTS THAT CONTRIBUTE TO AN ESTIMATED 23,000 UNNECESSARY DEATHS EACH YEAR FROM ASHTMA,BRONCHITIS AND HEART DISEASE.
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"THE CLEAN AIR TASK FORCE" REPORTED IN THEIR FEBRUARY 2005 REPORT THAT THE EPA HAS MANDATED REGULATIONS THAT STATE BEGINING IN 2007 "NEW DIESEL ENGINES" WILL HAVE TO REDUCE EMISSIONS----ONLY NEW ENGINES!
SINCE THE AVERAGE USEFUL LIFE SPAN OF A DIESEL ENGINE IS UP TO 30 YEARS. THIS WILL LEAVE MILLIONS OF DIESEL ENGINES WORKING WITH THE SAME HIGH LEVEL OF POLLUTION. THEIR GUIDELINES CALL FOR VOLUNTARY REDUCTION OF POLLUTANTS IN EXISTING ENGINES. TO ME THIS IS JUST ALLOWING THE "STATUS QUO". THIS SAME ARTICLE PREDICTS THAT REDUCTION OF DIESEL PARTICULAR EMISSIONS BY 85% BY 2020 WOULD REDUCE THE DEATH TOLL CAUSED BY THESE DIRTY ENGINES BY 100,000 LIVES. IT IS ESTIMATED AS MANY AS 23,000 PEOPLE DIE EACH YEAR FROM THE EFFECTS OF DIESEL PARTICLES IN THE AIR. THIS REDUCTION OF DIESEL PARTICLES WOULD BE COSTLY BUT RELATIVELY EASY WITH APPROPRIATE FILTER DEVELOPMENT.
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UNFORTUNATELY "JOE CITIZEN" HAS NO BIG LOBBY LIKE THE TEAMSTERS TO FIGHT THE EPA. SO THE EMPHASIS IS ON PUTTING MORE AMERICANS IN HARMS WAY BY REDUCING THE SIZE AND WEIGHT OF OUR CARS WHILE ALLOWING BIGGER AND BIGGER DIESEL POLLUTING TRUCKS AND BUSES ON THE HIGHWAY. WHAT CONGRESS HAS SHOWN TOO MANY TIMES IN THE LAST FEW WEEKS IS THE LACK OF POLITICAL WILL TO ATTACK A REAL PROBLEM.
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