Fuel for Thought Essay example -- Essays Papers

Fuel for Thought Should our giving medication regulate the sack economies of our automobiles or should this be left up to the marketplace? The Corporate middling Fuel Efficiency ( coffeehouse) standards that were implemented in the mid-seventies contributed to coarse improvements in vehicle fuel economies. While we have environmental and political reasons to want cars with erupt fuel ability, there atomic number 18 also be involved. The declining fuel economies of the last fifteen years seem to reveal that many Americans are not unbidden to bear these costs. Still, the vehicles that we drive today may be a misrepresentation of our true values. We may value environmental quality and/or independence from abroad oil, but sometimes our individual actions misrepresent our personal or societal goals. Since peoples actions can be disconnected from theirvalues and societys goals, we cannot rely solely on the market the governmentshould fasten on actio n to increase the fuel efficiency of our vehicles. The energy crisis of the 1970s led congress to pass a law requiring automakers to improve the number of miles per gallon (mpg) that U.S. automobiles used. These CAFE standards led to vast improvement in fuel efficiency (Another Cup..., 6). In 1973 the average fuel economy of light-duty vehicles, which includes cars, SUVs, vans and pickup trucks that weigh little than 8,500 pounds, was 14mpg. By 1987 average fuel economies had reached 22.1mpg. CAFE standards were frozen in the late 1980s. Since then,fuel efficiency has declined slightly. The average fuel economy in2003 model-year cars is 20.8 mpg. This decline is mostly due to theincreased popularity of SUVs. The SUV market share increased by morethan a factor of ten, from less(prenominal) tha... ...are held by people in opposition to fuel economy standards. Some people are concerned about safety implications, increased vehicle costs and/or problems within the auto in dustry.7. Samaras, Zissis. Emissions Reduction via Improvements in Engines and Fuels The Tehran Case. Journal of Urban engineering science 6 (April 1999) 63-87. In this document, Zissis Sararas looks at a two-year show done in Tehran, Iran that aimed to reduce vehicle emissions by making engine and fuel improvements. Sararas provides information on emissions in Tehran and compares that to emissions in developed countries. Sararas describes methods from virtually the world that are used reduce emissions and/or increase fuel economy. He discusses emissions standards, in particular in Europe, diesel engines, fuel improvements, fuel economy regulations in the U.S. and alternative technologies. Fuel for Thought Essay example -- Essays PapersFuel for Thought Should our government regulate the fuel economies of our automobiles or should this be left up to the market? The Corporate Average Fuel Efficiency (CAFE) standards that were im plemented in the 1970s contributed to great improvements in vehicle fuel economies. While we have environmental and political reasons to want cars with better fuel efficiency, there are also costs involved. The declining fuel economies of the last fifteen years seem to reveal that many Americans are not willing to bear these costs. Still, the vehicles that we drive today may be a misrepresentation of our true values. We may value environmental quality and/or independence from foreign oil, but sometimes our individual actions misrepresent our personal or societal goals. Since peoples actions can be disconnected from theirvalues and societys goals, we cannot rely solely on the market the governmentshould take action to increase the fuel efficiency of our vehicles. The energy crisis of the 1970s led congress to pass a law requiring automakers to improve the number of miles per gallon (mpg) that U.S. automobiles used. These CAFE standards led to vast improvement in fuel efficien cy (Another Cup..., 6). In 1973 the average fuel economy of light-duty vehicles, which includes cars, SUVs, vans and pickup trucks that weigh less than 8,500 pounds, was 14mpg. By 1987 average fuel economies had reached 22.1mpg. CAFE standards were frozen in the late 1980s. Since then,fuel efficiency has declined slightly. The average fuel economy in2003 model-year cars is 20.8 mpg. This decline is mostly due to theincreased popularity of SUVs. The SUV market share increased by morethan a factor of ten, from less tha... ...are held by people in opposition to fuel economy standards. Some people are concerned about safety implications, increased vehicle costs and/or problems within the auto industry.7. Samaras, Zissis. Emissions Reduction via Improvements in Engines and Fuels The Tehran Case. Journal of Urban Technology 6 (April 1999) 63-87. In this document, Zissis Sararas looks at a two-year project done in Tehran, Iran that aimed to reduce vehicle emissions b y making engine and fuel improvements. Sararas provides data on emissions in Tehran and compares that to emissions in developed countries. Sararas describes methods from around the world that are used reduce emissions and/or increase fuel economy. He discusses emissions standards, particularly in Europe, diesel engines, fuel improvements, fuel economy regulations in the U.S. and alternative technologies.