Should Volkswagen be held responsible for any of the global warming that occurred in the past 10 years?

Ummm... Yay?

The TDI issues are a drop in the bucket compared to China on its own.

Truth that is starting to come out is that diesel is still a hilariously dirty fuel. Paris has most of its smog to blame thanks to diesel (not just vw), where diesel cars account for almost 50% of the market.

No since none has occurred.

My company is meeting with the top execs of another large German company in a few days and we're told - Do not mention Volkswagen.

A case could be made for the corporate death penalty.

1.5 million jimmied cars to beat the system.

Penalties have to be huge, and jail time for those guilty.

Predict Germans will come down hard on them for shaming, loosing German face of technical superiority and excellence, success through hard work, not cheating, losing face, bad bad bad.

Punishment should be swift if they are going to build the brand. National mandate to treble punishment of the guilt are found to lie and hide.

Confess and we'll go easier on you should be approach.

You're barking up the wrong tree.

Had all those VW diesel owners been driving with equivalent gas engines there would have been a net INCREASE in CO2 released into the atmosphere.

What those diesels are bad at is NOx, which contributes to smog. Ironically, the fuel efficiency that minimizes their carbon footprint raises their NOx output. To solve the NOx problem, the EPA will require that their engines be less fuel efficient.

Volkswagen fudged the testing for NOx.

NOx (NO - nitric oxide and NO2 - nitrogen dioxide) are not greenhouse gases hence they are not direct contributors to global warming. N2O (nitrous oxide) is a greenhouse gas but it is not at issue in this context.

NOx is at issue with regards to lung disease, smog formation, and acid rain.

no

NONE

IT DOESN'T EXIST

GAWD LIBERALS ARE SO STUPID

From what I have heard, the mileage for the TDIs was consistent with what was represented by the manufacturer and EPA testing. Mileage is the key indicator of greenhouse gas emissions. The more fuel you burn, the more CO you release. The less fuel you burn, the less CO you release. The TDIs got comparatively good gas mileage.

As noted above, NOx is a ground level ozone precursor. Ground level ozone is what is commonly called smog in urban areas. Smog is a big problem for everyone. There is no controversy regarding the damage smog does to your lungs and cardiovascular system. It can actually be see with one of those endoscopy? cameras (can't remember the name) that they can put in your lungs. Asthmatics and people with respiratory diseases can end up in the emergency room on high ozone days.

Citizen Runner wrote:

Volkswagen fudged the testing for NOx.

THIS

CO2 probably has more long term effects - rising sea levels, global warming etc

NOx contributes to lung disease and people actually die from it directly

1/10 for getting VW and global warming in the title.

Precious Roy wrote:

. . . The more fuel you burn, the more CO you release. The less fuel you burn, the less CO you release. . .

I think you mean CO2 (carbon dioxide) in this statement, not CO (carbon monoxide). CO results from incomplete burning of the fuel, largely due to engine running overly rich which isn't desirable for best fuel mileage. NOx results from high combustion temperatures and the availability of excess oxygen which are in turn due to running the engine lean.

My understanding is that higher end diesel automobiles (BMW, Mercedes, some VWs, etc) run on the lean side and then clean up the NOx with a consumable catalyst (some sort of ammonia solution) in the exhaust system. VW didn't want to go this route with their 2.0 liter engine because it would have added to the manufacturing and operating cost which they felt would make the resultant vehicle uncompetitive in it's market niche.

Nein!