diesel owners. read it and weep

Who cares about the enviornment. I dont want my government telling me I cant light stuff on fire. Im free and protected by the constitution I should be able to light whatever I want on fire regardless of the consequences.

 

Nah, we need to protect the environment above all else. We should immediately enact legislation banning the manufacture, sale, and possession of all mechanized equipment (the economic consequences be damned). But, that's not enough. We need to make sure that humans never harm any living creature and anyone doing so, even if you accidentally squish a bug, should be charged with murder. In fact, we should enact measures that drastically reduce the human population so so that our impact on the earth can be minimized.

Hmmm, now that I look at this, this doesn't make much sense either.

 

One of the activists for this law was a school nurse for an elementary school that sits on a hill overlooking the harbor/harbor freeway. She acted to help get older trucks prohibited from entering the harbor. Their school sits in such a way that all the particles flow onto the playground and have increased the incidence of asthma in the children. In fact, a significant number of kids who enter the school come down with the symptoms and diagnosis of asthma within a few months of arriving (regardless of their age when entering the district). The kids spend many days inside, due to the smog from the harbor and freeway (many ships in the harbor sit idling while being unloaded and many registered to countries who do not have any type of smog prevention). Since land is at a premium in this district, the school cannot be moved, so working to improve air quality is the best we can do to improve the health of our children, our future.

Whether or not you are for "cleaning up the environment", the incidence of poor air quality health problems is an issue that needs to be addressed, especially in crowded areas like So. Cali.

 

While polution is certainly an issue and these anecdotal stories makes sensational headlines, regulations should not be made based on exaggerating the facts by 340%. However, it does make sense to make regulations based on actual facts about the actual situation.

 

What are you, 12?

 

I understand the importance of SMOG checks but why do they not inspect other safety aspects of the vehicle? In VA you have to pass a yearly state inspection where they look at tires, lights, brakes, ect... So as long as the car runs clean who cares if it can stop or is at all safe to drive? Just doesnt make sense to me.

 

They did have universities come out to measure the actual particulates in the air around the school. They didn't get all the way out to the fence, closest to the freeway, as the measurements close to the school were so incredibly high already. The incidence and prevalence of asthma is merely a way to show how the air quality has the potential to affect each individual. While it may not affect everyone exposed, just as cigarette smoking does not necessarily cause cancer in every smoker, everyone has a greater chance of experiencing asthma symptoms with an decreased air quality.

One thing that IS directly correlated with higher CO2 (like from smokers, smog, etc) is that your body changes--as seen in smokers, even without cancer. Instead of your body and your drive for oxygen being caused by an increase in CO2, your body adjusts to the higher CO2 and changes to having a drive for breathing caused by a decrease in oxygen. Not only do these people have lower O2 sats (87-91% compared to 95-100% of healthy CO2 driven breathers), but by increasing their oxygen (like giving them O2), you can completely knock out their drive for breathing and a greater incidence of respiratory disorders, both chronic and severe acute. Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, such as this, makes you more prone to other disease processes. And then you can get into the debate about insurance/coverage/medical costs/blah blah blah. Isn't prevention better?

Mind you, I do agree that deisel has been MUCH cleaner lately and even burns cleaner than some gas driven cars (not to mention better gas mileage), but I'm not sure that I disagree about the importance of assuring that those vehicles are the ones that are primarily driven, especially in crowded areas. I think they'd do MUCH greater good by addressing the boats in the harbor, but we wouldn't be talking about that, would we?

 

I need a diesel truck with 500 pounds of torque to drive everyday to work. So I bought a 30,000 dollar diesel to get around all this regulation and i modded it and now it makes a TON of power. Now california wants me to change it into something reasonable... And now Im mad that I will actually have to do what the rest of california has had to do for years.

Alterego: Fully agree with you man. with speed limits of 70 miles an hour your car needs to be in good working order. Your car shouldnt fall apart as you drive down the road and it should be able to accelerate and decelerate in a reasonable amount of time. Also lifted trucks that do not fit in parking spaces or lanes should be ticketed the road was not designed to be taken up by vehicles like these.

 

I just got my Smog notice for my Truck. Not sure where I will take it since I don't trust most shady smog shops. Has anyone here smoged their diesel yet? What was the cost and where did you take it?

 

georgia- thanks for posting that. air pollution is a big problem where i teach--south l.a., 105/110 (miles from the port). each year i have a few kids in my class that have asthma. they miss more school, get farther behind academically, etc...i've seen studies that show much higher rates of asthma for kids living within a mile of any major freeway in socal...

btw- i used to run my old mercedes wagon on vegie oil--a lot less pollution and my exhaust smelled like fried food! but newer diesels produce much less pollution--and get about 30% better mpg than regular cars. commercial trucks are the real problem. of course, that involves big business, so change will come slowly...

 

You guys inhale too many diesel fumes and that must be the reason you can't think clearly. Clean air is one of the most important things in life and affects us all. Making a huge truck go a little faster is not worth polluting the air we breathe. If California sucks so bad, then get the hell out. We won't miss your whining.

 

wait diesels don't pollute

[video=youtube;y8NfsuTLCbM]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y8NfsuTLCbM[/video]

 

Hi, I work at one of those shady smog shops that you can't trust. We plug into your vehicle and do a visual inspection. 60 dollars at our shop. If your truck is stock you will be fine but if tampered or modified.........................:lol:

 

Wow, just made the cut, I guess My 97 Power Stroke just increased in value!

 

might want to get your facts straight. if you guys are really concerned about global warming gases and less co2, new clean diesels pollute less co2 than new prius. however, where diesels fail worse is particulate matter. while i do agree with common sense smog laws, i do not agree with knee jerk reaction laws that are based on flawed science.

 

what- you guys don't have sarcasm out in the i.e.?

(i think he was being sarcastic)

 

Not trying to be a dick but its climate change not global warming.

 

Why would a "visual inspection" cost more then it cost to get a smog check done for a gas powered car/truck? My truck is a stock 2006 (6.0 Ford) so I assumed it would be cool but I was thinking the price would be less. Guess not.

 

do anyone realize how much $$$$ this costs the schools w/ having to replace soooooo many gross polluting school buses?

 

but...but...but...reducing pollution is far more important than keeping teaches employed....#-o

In regards to safety inspections, I'd bet on them being a liability is the reason we don't have them in California. By stating that the vehicle is safe, if a vehicle passes a "safety" inspection and then has a vehicle failure that causes an accident, or even a malfunction leaving the motorist stranded, the inspection station could be held liable...at least in California.