Diesel Engines: Prius Repellent

Whenever people think of diesel engines, they imagine black soot pouring out of a big rig on the interstate. While that has been correct in the past, the technology is arriving that changes people’s thoughts to that of a more ecologically friendly. Ever since Rudolf Diesel created the diesel engine, it has been written off as a smelly, inefficient, and dirty way of converting fossil fuels into power. Diesel noticed how the steam engines of the times were wasting 80-90% of the fuel they burn, making them very inefficient. After learning about how inefficient typical gas or steam engines were, he dedicated himself to create a clean burning engine. In the beginning, the stereotypes were completely accurate, but those same adjectives are simply incorrect in today’s times. These constant put downs by environmentalist are often uneducated and generalized by the small number of older, inefficient trucks that are still on the road. The modern diesel engine is an absolute marvel when it comes to the fuel efficiency, power output and societal benefits. While the light duty diesel pickup may be loud and intimidating, the benefits they provide society are vastly underappreciated and need to be more thoroughly recognized.

One resolution to the fuel pollution issue uses the idea of reinvention to curb the damage that smoke and fuel causes to the environment. A U.S. company, Sea Change LLC. paired with the Maine Maritime Academy to create a more friendly fuel (“1”). The engineering classes at the academy along with chemists created a fuel that burned cleaner and safer for the environment. The fuel used mirco-glycerol droplets mixed with ultra-low sulfur diesel to reduce harmful emissions and as a result found a reduction in smoke by 25 to 50 percent (“1”). In addition Nitrogen Oxide levels showed a reduction by 5 to 15 percent compared to regular low-sulfur diesel at equivalent horsepower (“1”). This hard work truly paid off big for these two entities and they showed that with some ingenuity safer ways of burning fuel just wait to be

As a result of EPA regulations, today’s diesel engines are more efficient than ever before seen in large and midsized trucks. Certain regulations restrict truck owners from using certain truck models, because of excess diesel emission. Increasing drastically as technology improves, cars and trucks produce less and less diesel exhausts and emissions. “But because diesel engines can operate for 30 years or more, millions of older, dirtier engines are still in use,” (Epa.Gov). Reducing exposure to diesel exhaust from these engines is especially important for the preservation of human health and the environment. According to the EPA, the United States Environmental Protection Agency,

Improved air quality wasn’t a subject of national concern until the mid 1900s. After decades of coal burning, unregulated gas emissions from cars and the excessive burning of fossil fuels, people started noticing bad air quality as a hazard to their lives. Over several decades, after seeing the costly effects air pollution was having on the environment and people’s health, interest groups like the Friends of The Earth club and the influences of Theodore Roosevelt and Rachel Carson’s Silent Spring finally came together to persuade the government to enforce legislation that would reduce air pollution. Because of these efforts, the policies of the Clean Air Act of 1963 and the Motor Vehicle Pollution Control Act of 1965, that aimed to control air pollution and raise air quality standards, helped create the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) on December 2, 1970. Since then, the EPA has passed more air quality improvement acts, and amendments to previous acts passed, to increase restrictions on air pollutants, with their main policy concern being the Clean Air Act. Improved air quality acts imposed by the EPA have been successful in cleaning the United States’ air quality by reducing ground-level ozone pollution and reducing emissions, allowing for a decrease in pollution related deaths/illnesses and a better standard of living. The EPA, through regulations and the Clean Air Act, has delivered it’s promise to improve air quality in the United States.

The invention of the Diesel engine changed the way people lived in the industrial revolution. It had countless long term consequences both positive and negative. Firstly, the Diesel engine helped businesses, and people selling goods flourish in their businesses. The engine not only helped the selling and accessibility of goods in the short term, it also aided the economy in the long term. The invention of the Diesel engine meant that goods were more accessible and money could be gained quicker. The Diesel engine has some very terrible long term effects. Still today the diesel engine is one of the biggest producers of pollution. Studies have shown that a "Diesel engine emits four times more toxic pollution than a bus."(Carrington, D. (2015).

All combustion engines release pollutants that damage the atmosphere like carbon dioxide and other gases. Nora states that Diesel engines emit black carbon which is worse than any other version of carbon dioxide. That black carbon can really harm the health of people because when it is deeply inhaled it can trigger asthma attacks and exacerbate chronic bronchitis. The international agency for cancer research has labeled the particles of black carbon carcinogenic. This explains how diesel exhausts are harmful to the environment and the people and animals that live in it. This proves that the diesel engines are not the way of the future unless they find a way to clean up the emissions that diesel engines

When someone mentions diesel, many people still have the image of a loud and obnoxious machine that is hard to start in the cold weather. This may have been true twenty to thirty years ago, but could not be further from the truth today! With all of the advancements in engine and emissions technology; diesel has become the new standard in fuel economy and power while still maintaining strict pollution standards as mandated by the EPA. As C.J. Baker explained here, “Diesel development has come a long way, but the public perception of diesel is lagging 25 years behind...but the bottom line is still the same. Modern diesels are quick, powerful, quiet, easy to start in the cold, and don't smoke.”(Baker 2). Therefore I have

Cars and truck account for 20% of all U.S. global warming emissions, where more than 24 pounds per gallon of carbon dioxide and other global warming gases come right out of the car’s tailpipe (“Union of Concerned scientists”). This frightening statistic is part of the reason why the federal government has put in place many policies and incentives such as the Clean Air Act, The National Program for greenhouse gas emissions, Catalytic Converter Federal Laws, and incentives of $12,000 in California to get people to upgrade to more fuel-efficient cars. With such programs and incentives put in places, it is also important that car companies such as Toyota and Ford also take action to further cut pollution rates. They have done so by

The proposed bill, S166, would decrease the levels of air pollution in our country. The United States annually produces millions of tons of pollution. However, there are not many laws in our country to reduce the amount of air pollution. High air pollution can lead to many health problems, such as asthma, bronchitis, heart disease, and possibly cancer. Our proposal will grant tax breaks to those who use an electric vehicle instead of the traditional vehicle and benefits for those who use public transportation. This law will reduce ingredients such as smoke, carbon monoxide, and toxics in the air. In addition, our bill would contain laws that take strict actions against polluters. There will be a $5000 fine and the loss of future benefits

An estimated 480,000 school buses are in use every day in the US. About 95% of these buses (456,000) are using diesel fuel, using 822,857,143 gallons per year, which produces 95,000 tons of smog. This smog is not only incredibly damaging to the environment, but has cancer causing effects on the children the buses are transporting. Diesel exhaust has been proven to cause lung cancer, damage eyes and increse symptoms of illnesses such as asthma and heart disease. Not only that, but the fuels affect on the environment is huge, causing incredible amounts of damage to the ozone layer and increasing global warming. This issue could be stopped in many ways. Propane, or other alternate fuels could be used instead of diesel. Another way is that the

Being raised around a diesel truck has opened my eyes up to the many different concerns and thoughts about diesel vehicles. In the 1890’s the first diesel engine was built by a guy named Rudolf Diesel, ever since then the diesel engine has evolved tremendously. Many people will argue that diesel fuel is the worst fuel on the market for several reasons. A few of the reasons that people will claim that diesel fuel is the worst fuel is because it is too expensive and it's harder for people to afford, that the fuel isn’t efficient enough, also people claim that diesel fuel is worse for the environment than any other type of fuel. Little do the people that make those claims know that diesel fuel is improving and becoming a better product.

Several different technologies have been introduced to combat the wasted fuel and reduce or eliminate truck idling times. One such advancement is an electrified parking space (EPS) for the drivers. The electrified parking space allows the driver a parking spot (for rest, sleep, etc.) and an oversized power cord that allows the truck to “plug” into electric grids to power their cabins. This enables a clean energy source from the power grid, and reduces the driver’s need to

In addition, diesel exhaust increases cancer risks, and a 2000 California study found that “diesel exhaust is responsible for 70 percent of the cancer risk from air pollution” (vi). In fact, recent studies have linked diesel exhaust with asthma. Major air pollutants from diesel engines at ports that can affect human health include; particulate matter (PM), volatile organic compounds (VOCs), nitrogen oxides (NOx), and sulfur oxides (SOx). (Harboring Pollution)

The issue whether the diesel engine is better than the gasoline engine has been a recent question on which one is the best to own. This may concern many people who are interested into own one. On the other hand, A variety of people has discussed why this is important.some discuss that the gasoline engine is better while others disagree. However, the diesel engines are typically used in the heavy duty field.

The amount of factories and industries has grown immensely through the previous years which has resulted in an expansion in the consumption of petroleum products. Innovation has begun to increase and has promoted the expansion of the production of cars. As stated by the Air Quality Research Center, “Air pollution is one of the most dangerous environmental problems, causing many adverse health effects and responsible for 50,000 deaths in the U.S. each year” (Air Pollution and Health – Air Quality Research Center.). The smog and