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DETROIT (AP)--Diesel fuel may be the right remedy to help cure global warming and raise vehicle fuel economy, a top Ford Motor Co.
(F) executive said Monday.
"Diesel can answer the needs of society," Chief Operating Officer Nick Scheele said during a panel discussion on the subject at the Society
of Automotive Engineers World Congress.
He admitted today's diesel fuel, although much cleaner than earlier versions that spewed black smoke and gave off a strong odor, does have
the drawbacks of high sulfur content and particulate emission, but that shouldn't deter its use.
"Yes, it's got problems, but it's advantages vastly outweigh its problems," Scheele said.
He noted that diesel offers greater fuel economy and faster acceleration than gasoline.
Scheele is so eager to sell the public on diesel, he said Ford will circulate some diesel-powered Ford Focuses to the media and government
agencies in hopes eliciting positive word of mouth.
He said strict air quality regulations in California were standing in the way of greater production of diesel-powered vehicles because if they
can't be sold in such a large automotive market, the vehicles would not be profitable enough.
A senior scientist from the California-based Natural Resources Defense Council said the state should not be made a scapegoat. Diesel is not
the panacea Scheele speaks of, said Dr. Gina Solomon.
"California regulated diesel for good reasons," she said.
"Diesel is toxic to lung functions, and there are dozens of human studies where diesel is linked to cancer, and recent research linked diesel to
asthma," Solomon said.
She did agree that modern diesel fuels have improved, but she remains unconvinced the fuel is not harmful to the environment.
The federal government is also behind wider use of diesel, said Jeffrey Holmstead, the Environmental Protection Agency's assistant
administrator for air and radiation, who also was on the panel.
"We certainly are pro-diesel, and it's important for the public to understand this is a clean technology," Holmstead said.
The petroleum industry is working toward producing a low-sulfur-content diesel fuel and expects to have it between 2003 and 2004,
according to panel member Duane Gilliam, executive vice president for corporate affairs at Marathon Ashland Petroleum LLC.
"If a market develops early, then we would do our best to meet that market," Gilliam said.
(F) executive said Monday.
"Diesel can answer the needs of society," Chief Operating Officer Nick Scheele said during a panel discussion on the subject at the Society
of Automotive Engineers World Congress.
He admitted today's diesel fuel, although much cleaner than earlier versions that spewed black smoke and gave off a strong odor, does have
the drawbacks of high sulfur content and particulate emission, but that shouldn't deter its use.
"Yes, it's got problems, but it's advantages vastly outweigh its problems," Scheele said.
He noted that diesel offers greater fuel economy and faster acceleration than gasoline.
Scheele is so eager to sell the public on diesel, he said Ford will circulate some diesel-powered Ford Focuses to the media and government
agencies in hopes eliciting positive word of mouth.
He said strict air quality regulations in California were standing in the way of greater production of diesel-powered vehicles because if they
can't be sold in such a large automotive market, the vehicles would not be profitable enough.
A senior scientist from the California-based Natural Resources Defense Council said the state should not be made a scapegoat. Diesel is not
the panacea Scheele speaks of, said Dr. Gina Solomon.
"California regulated diesel for good reasons," she said.
"Diesel is toxic to lung functions, and there are dozens of human studies where diesel is linked to cancer, and recent research linked diesel to
asthma," Solomon said.
She did agree that modern diesel fuels have improved, but she remains unconvinced the fuel is not harmful to the environment.
The federal government is also behind wider use of diesel, said Jeffrey Holmstead, the Environmental Protection Agency's assistant
administrator for air and radiation, who also was on the panel.
"We certainly are pro-diesel, and it's important for the public to understand this is a clean technology," Holmstead said.
The petroleum industry is working toward producing a low-sulfur-content diesel fuel and expects to have it between 2003 and 2004,
according to panel member Duane Gilliam, executive vice president for corporate affairs at Marathon Ashland Petroleum LLC.
"If a market develops early, then we would do our best to meet that market," Gilliam said.