Should states continue to pass the smog tests for the polluting diesel cars?

[Jesus Malverde]

I think they should all be banned from the road until they pass emissions. Like everyone else.

It sucks for the owners, but diesel pollutants kill people. Volkswagen and Audi are killing people while making a profit.

Are they still allowed to sell thes cars? A polluting car is a polluting car. States seem they're not being agressive enough to tackle this fraud that poisons the public.

[portlander23]

1. As the owner of a Diesel VW

I've stopped driving it for any reason. It's been parked in long term storage and I'm investigating my legal rights to get it replaced. It is not safe, it does not pass emissions, and the EPA is currently choosing not to enforce the rules (for now) as a courtesy to defrauded owners.

[Jesus Malverde]

2. I'm not sure it's up to the EPA

States impose their own standards and appear to be asleep at the switch.

It appears I could buy one of these polluters and register it legally in California.

Kudos for being a responsible owner, I'm sure your a rare breed.

[AngryAmish]

3. Cash for clunkers but for the tdis

Bring car to dealer, get Blue book plus 1k credit from uncle sam. Buy new, used non tdi. Bill volkswagon.




On edit: we are a week in. We need a period of time to think things through.

[MichMan]

4. Not killing people

Diesel engine vehicles are 1% of sales and VW is just a portion of that. While emissions do cause health concerns, the effect on the total amount is negligible

[portlander23]

5. NYT: How Many Deaths Did Volkswagen’s Deception Cause in the U.S.?

How Many Deaths Did Volkswagen’s Deception Cause in the U.S.?

Volkswagen’s diesel deception unleashed tons of extra pollutants in the United States, pollutants that can harm human health. So while many commentators have been quick to say that the cheating engines are not a highway safety concern, safety — as in health — is still an issue.

The chemicals that spewed illegally from the Volkswagen diesel cars — known as nitrogen oxides or NOx — have been linked to a host of respiratory and cardiovascular illnesses, as well as premature deaths. Nitrogen oxides are a byproduct of burning fossil fuels at high temperature, whether in cars, power plants or other machines like industrial boilers. The chemicals can be harmful to humans, and in warm, sunny conditions, they can also turn into ground-level ozone, or smog, and unhealthy particle pollution.

Nitrogen dioxide and ozone irritate the lungs, increasing airway inflammation, coughing and wheezing, and can lower resistance to respiratory illness like influenza, especially with long-term exposure. The chemicals can also worsen the suffering and risk of serious illness or premature death for those with conditions like asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Older people, who are more likely to have these ailments, are particularly vulnerable.

The impact of smog and soot pollution on global health is substantial: A recent paper by Jos Lelieveld, at the Max Planck Institute for Chemistry in Germany, and colleagues estimated that air pollution causes some three million premature deaths a year, and that the number of deaths could more than double by 2050.

The American Lung Association estimates that nearly 41 percent of Americans live in areas with unhealthy levels of ozone. And that’s with reductions brought about by national air quality standards and regulation. Between 1980 and 2014, the E.P.A. estimates that nitrogen dioxide levels in the air fell by more than half. The Obama administration has stepped up its regulation of emissions from power plants and tightened standards for vehicles. A still tougher ozone standard is expected next month.

[greatlaurel]

7. Great post, thank you!

People do not understand the threat to their health from air pollution. Good article.

[MichMan]

8. Still a small percentage.

The excess emissions from non compliant Volkswagen diesels is still a very small % of total emissions from all vehicles. They have a very small share of the market.

[Jesus Malverde]

9. Should we leave those cheater on the road?..nt

[greatlaurel]

6. Air pollution from exhaust is extensively linked to premature deaths world wide

"With government figures for 2008 showing 29,000 people dying prematurely from air pollution each year, diesel fuel burned in vehicles could be responsible for around one in four of all air pollution deaths, said Frank Kelly, professor of environmental health at King's College, London."
http://www.theguardian.com/environment/2014/apr/29/diesel-engine-pollution-premature-deaths-costs-nhs-billions

"But although American air today is the cleanest it has been in four decades, pollution is still a major public health problem. According to estimates from the American Lung Association, more than 46 million Americans—about 15 percent of the US population—are chronically exposed to levels of particle pollution that exceed Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) standards, with a further 44.1 million plagued by periodic unhealthy exposures on bad air days or, as in parts of California, seasonal air pollution spikes. Meanwhile, in some Chinese and Indian cities, air pollution levels are routinely three to six times higher than World Health Organization standards. A recent study in the peer-reviewed journal Environmental Health and Technology estimated that we could avoid two million deaths globally by cleaning up the world's air."

http://www.motherjones.com/environment/2015/05/air-pollution-dementia-alzheimers-brain

"Diesel-powered vehicles and equipment account for nearly half of all nitrogen oxides (NOx) and more than two-thirds of all particulate matter (PM) emissions from US transportation sources. "

http://www.ucsusa.org/clean_vehicles/why-clean-cars/air-pollution-and-health/trucks-buses-and-other-commercial-vehicles/diesel-engines-and-public.html

"Air pollution is an underestimated scourge that kills far more people than AIDS and malaria and a shift to cleaner energy could easily halve the toll by 2030, U.N. officials said on Tuesday."

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/04/09/air-pollution-deaths-green-energy_n_3045828.html

The facts show this fraud conducted by VW harms people all over the US and the world where people are exposed to the automobile exhaust. Air pollution is a killer and diesel automobile engines are part of the problem.