Drought?

[Wayne SW/MO]

It's hard to compare the US to China with a big, make it huge difference in population and an oppressing government, unless you want develop the same type government and an overpopulation of ethnic groups.

We need to solve our problems in ways that work for us and not some country that we have few things in common with.

It would help if we all thought for ourselves and not some controlling party doctrine.

[drew03cmc]

If we can create some form of alternate energy and get the entire government behind it, it could make a dent in OUR amount of pollution. I am not even against a minimum fuel economy requirement for cars and light duty trucks, call it 40mpg for cars (displacement doesn't matter, they can all do it) and 30mpg for half ton trucks. Diesel cars would be an easy way to attain the 40mpg, but for some reason the US isn't too keen on them. They burn cleaner than gasoline engines and every European manufacturer offers diesels in everything from a sub compact to an executive sedan to a crossover to suit 75% of vehicle needs. GM had a diesel half ton in the mid 90s and Dodge has been kicking around the idea of putting a Cummins 4 cylinder or V6 into a Ram 1500. If they would do this, we could attain higher fuel economy in newer vehicles. This would help our situation in the long run. If anyone could get over their allegiance to big, gas guzzling v8 trucks for daily use and purchase a nice used VW TDI or something for daily driving and keep the truck for heavy hauling.

This is one way we could reduce our pollution figures.

[Wayne SW/MO]

Two problems Andy. One is that the powers that be want to jump to the finish line in one big leap, ain't gonna happen, but it's what makes the best overall political sense.

Diesel can be made to be as clean or cleaner than gasoline, but you can make the fuel out of garbage and that isn't a high profit item. NG is also cleaner and more readily available, but again it is hard to add a big margin on it because we control the supply domestically. But there is not as much money in either than there is in crude oil based fuels. , and that is the second problem.

Chrysler put a diesel in the very popular Liberty, but it only did well overseas. I would imagine fuel cost had a lot to do with it. Diesel is easier to make than gasoline, but it's also easier to slip a bloated price past the consumer so they can keep ripping. Electric is far from the answer, it's hard to sell me that a vehicle that cost a premium and that runs on either the highest CO2 producing energy or the second highest is a step forward, seems sideways to me.

[Quillback]

That Italian made diesel they slapped into a Liberty was a disaster, they only did it for one year and pulled the plug on it as it was very unreliable. That aside, I have always been puzzled why American manufacturers haven't come out with a small diesel for autos similar to the VW TDI. I believe it's because it would jack the price up on a US small sedan if it were diesel powered.

[drew03cmc]

I agree Wayne. We cannot make this change overnight, it has to be a gradual thing. If you look at the vehicles owned by the masses overseas, there is almost a 50/50 split between diesel and petrol, but here it is closer to 10/90 diesel to gas. What do they know that we don't?

Ford makes a diesel Focus for the Euro markets that I would love to see here.

[Tim Smith]

I agree Wayne. We cannot make this change overnight, it has to be a gradual thing. If you look at the vehicles owned by the masses overseas, there is almost a 50/50 split between diesel and petrol, but here it is closer to 10/90 diesel to gas. What do they know that we don't?

Ford makes a diesel Focus for the Euro markets that I would love to see here.

The Toyota Hi-Lux diesel truck and the Ford Ranger Turbo Diesel sold in Central America are amazing vehicles with great power and they both get over 25mpg...up in the 28 range and over.

They blow away most of the light trucks sold in the US for durability and performance. I assume they have the same old diesel problems with sulfur and nitrogen emissions.

[Wayne SW/MO]

That Italian made diesel they slapped into a Liberty was a disaster, they only did it for one year and pulled the plug on it as it was very unreliable. That aside, I have always been puzzled why American manufacturers haven't come out with a small diesel for autos similar to the VW TDI. I believe it's because it would jack the price up on a US small sedan if it were diesel powered.

Actually the engine was said to be pretty reliable and the continued to use it in Europe. It was around for 2 years, but a big problem was it couldn't be sold in CA or NY. It didn't meet CA emission standards.

There is suppose to be another one on the horizon with a engine from the same company, but it is suppose to meet all the standards and is being used now by Mercedes.

The Wrangler, which won't be offered here gets 28/36, compared to a gas 15/19. We won't see it though.

It doesn't help that fuel cost are inflated. I suspect that if we were making diesel out of grass, cooking oil and turkey parts and driving vehicles that averaged 32 mpg, oil companies and DC wouldn't be happy.

[drew03cmc]

Diesel can and does burn cleaner Tim. Modern diesel trucks with their dual particulate filters and modern electronics run much cleaner and are a viable alternative to gas and hybrids.

[ness]

I was talking to one of my sons today, and the conversation drifted to books and history and things. I was talking about David McCullough, and found this video that I thought was pretty good and relatres to some of the things touched on in this conversation. It's often pretty enlightening to look at things with the perspective of history.

[Tim Smith]

Diesel can and does burn cleaner Tim. Modern diesel trucks with their dual particulate filters and modern electronics run much cleaner and are a viable alternative to gas and hybrids.

Yes, that's true. But I don't think the Central American products have conformed to that standard yet. Don't know what their performance would be if they had to meet emission standards (and having lived in the Central Valley of California as well as Central America, I can say they SHOULD meet those standards...that is some nasty air out there in CA).

Those trucks are marvelous beasts though.