SCANDAL: Over 10 million Volkswagen cars have been recalled because of rigged diesel test.
By Andrew Carlson, Staff Writer
In 2009, Volkswagen came out with a diesel car that claimed to use less fuel, a move that would reduce carbon emissions and help preserve the environment. No other car companies were anywhere close to making a car as environmentally friendly as the new diesel. It seemed too good to be true. It was.
Volkswagen, the biggest car company in the world, mass-produced a “clean” diesel car that, in reality, should not have passed the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) emissions test. With the climate change problems humanity has expedited, diesel cars need to be tested in order to avoid further atmospheric pollution. So when Volkswagen cars were found emitting 40 times more toxic fumes than permitted, something was amiss. Volkswagen cheated the test by making their cars seem far less pollutive than they actually are. This beguiling bamboozle now affects over 11 million cars worldwide.
These revelations have put the Volkswagen company in disarray. The company’s shares have collapsed by almost a third since its chicanery surfaced. The company faces billions of dollars in fines and lawsuits, and their reputation has been completely destroyed. These revelations have been such a public relations nightmare that the CEO, of Volkswagen was forced to resign.
Beyond the economic issues, the environment was also seriously affected. Far more harmful nitrogen oxide (NOx) emissions including nitrogen dioxide have been pumped into the air than was thought. Nitrogen dioxide affects the lungs by increasing inflammation, reducing lung function, and increasing asthma attacks. The amount of damage Volkswagen caused equates to all of the UK’s NOx emissions from all power stations, vehicles, industry and agriculture. That is almost 1 million extra tons per year. Diesel exhaust is a major contributor to air pollution, and Volkswagen’s manipulations concerning NOx is a precursor to ground-level ozone that can cause drastic respiratory problems. Volkswagen knowingly put out millions of cars that pollute the earth, simply so they could make more money.
Another shocking discovery the EPA unveiled was how deceptive Volkswagen was in their way of passing the emissions test. Volkswagen used a “defeat device,” which can be explained as an additional line of software code in the car’s computer. This device’s sophisticated design has taken years of planning, proving their actions intentional. The defeat device looked for signs that the car was being tested, such as “the position of the steering wheel, vehicle speed, the duration of the engine’s operation, and barometric pressure,” according to the EPA. When these testing conditions were detected by the device, the computer altered the car’s running-states so it seemed more environmentally friendly and achieved the standards presented by the EPA test. With the defeat device, Volkswagen did not have to spend money on an expensive mechanism that inserts urea injection fluid into the diesel engine. The cost of this was apparently too high for Volkswagen, as their profit was more important than taking precautions to save the Earth.
Recent scandals are showing increasing levels of corruption in corporations, and if these injustices are allowed to continue, who knows what steps companies will take to save and make a quick buck? Sadly, the number of honest businesses are decreasing, and something needs to be done about it.