Mark Gajewski wrote:

>   The TDI is a wonderful motor and at 45mpg in a big, heavy car it
> simply must be less harmful to our environment than a 20mpg gasoline
> motor....the fact is a lot of people these days are claiming horrible things
> about diesel soot and if nothing else it just looks bad.  Whether or not the
> soot is truly harmful to humans or to the environment, the people making these
> decisions for us apparently don't like diesel smoke and if VW (or any auto
> company) wants to keep selling diesels in the US they better figure out how to
> eliminate smoke under all conditions.  California's master air quality plan
> calls for complete elimination of diesels in the coming years.  From my point
> of view this is a tragedy because I find it hard to believe that any solution
> is better than people getting 45mpg without giving up anything with regards to
> day to day performance and driving satisfaction.
> Mark

Diesel exhaust is the most harmful air pollution because of the microscopic
particles the exhaust contains, which lodge in the lungs, cause damage and cannot
be expelled.  The injuries it causes are distinct enough for some "scientists/MDs"
to feel comftorable enough to estimate the number of deaths caused by diesel
exhaust in a given urban area, such as SF.  The elderly and very young are most
vulnerable.