valkraider wrote:
Actually, neither Oregon or Washington's governors are idiots.
As soon as ULSD is *standard* everywhere in the USA, we will have diesels that meet CARB diesel standards...
The problem is not within CARB (although I agree - it is not the best implemantation of emission standards) or the EPA standards (although I agree that they are not the wisest either) - the problem is that the fuel standards have been such a moving target.
It is very hard to design and support an emission system on fuel that you can't guarantee what will be in it.
Not only has the moving "deadline" for ULSD been a problem, but diesel fuel in the USA in general. When the fuel you get in one region may be high quality and the fuel in another may suck arse - how do you design, build, and support an engine for that?
We'll just have to agree to disagree on the cranial capcity of our fearless leader, this is not the only boneheaded decision he's made IMHO
At the very least you would have to agree our governor has bad judgement. There is abosolutely no reason to incure the expense of carb emissions here in Oregon. Yes I was aware of the ULSD fuel situation...etc. But diesels are just a very small part of the big picture. Demanding that every Oregon new car buyer (gas & diesel) pay for CARB standards is just plain arrogant and irresponsible on the Governors part. Its just not needed.
The undeniable fact is that its not the new cars that is the pollution problem, its the old worn out cars that are still on the road. Its these cars that put out 900 times the emmisions, thats right 900 times the emissions of new cars. You know the ones with visible black and/or blue smoke while driving.....that all it takes. So if the Gov. gave a rats rear about polution and not just pandering to the irrational tree huggers, he'd impliment stricter standards for older cars, but since its not PC to pick on the poor (generally who drives these cars) nothing will ever change. Just think about that for a second, for every 100 jalopys taken off the road, 90,000 new cars can replace them with no impact on pollution.
Having Oregonians pay for CARB standards thru higher vehicle prices is just a monumental waste of their money.......but then again when has any government cared about wasting taxpayer money.
Sorry for hi-jacking the thread........I'll get off my soapbox now