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From: chucko@ptolemy.arc.nasa.gov (Chuck Fry)
Newsgroups: ba.transportation,ca.environment,sci.electronics
Subject: Re: Fuel efficiency
Message-ID: <8220@ptolemy.arc.nasa.gov>
Date: 25 Sep 90 18:57:26 GMT
References: <38776@ucbvax.BERKELEY.EDU> <70019@sgi.sgi.com> <JYM.90Sep24150347@remarque.berkeley.edu>
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In article <JYM.90Sep24150347@remarque.berkeley.edu>
jym@remarque.berkeley.edu (Jym Dyer) writes: 
>> Also, pollution standards are in grams per mile, not parts per
>> million, so that the average Lincoln Town Car puts out no more
>> of the nasty pollutants than a Honda Civic.
>.-.
>|T|his sounds wrong to me.  If a Lincoln sucks up (e.g.) 3 times
>`-' as much gas as a Honda, it's got to deal with (e.g.) 3 times
>    as much output.
>.-.
>|A|lso, is carbon dioxide considered a pollutant in this scheme?
>`-' <_Jym_>

You found the hidden "gotcha" in the law.  Yes, Lincolns burning 3
times as much gas as a Honda put out 3 times as much carbon dioxide.

By most emissions laws, oxides of nitrogen and unburned hydrocarbons
(the nasty precursors of LA-type smog) are limited in terms of grams
per mile.  Carbon monoxide is limited to a percentage of total exhaust
gas.  Other exhaust gases are not limited at all, except by the
Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE) Federal standards, which permit
gas-guzzling cars to be sold by those companies willing to pay the
surcharge.

In some sense, the normal end products of carbon dioxide and water are
not really pollutants, since Mother Nature generates and uses them.
It's true that excesses of carbon dioxide from combustion can upset
the natural balance of the biosphere, but so can waste heat from
nuclear processes.  Hydroelectric, geothermal, and solar sources are
not sufficient to fill our current power needs.  This is the price of
a technological civilization.

BTW, the electric cars so beloved by some merely relocate the
pollution problems to the electric power utility.  I feel it's better
to make the problems apparent to those who cause them.  If you REALLY
want to do something about smog, find a more efficient way to travel.
Or move closer to work.  Don't smog up the Grand Canyon to clean up
LA.

 -- Chuck Fry  Chucko@Charon.ARC.NASA.GOV  ...!ames!ptolemy!chucko