Video assignment 7

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University Of Arizona *

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301

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Mechanical Engineering

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Dec 6, 2023

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Destiny Clemons Video assignment 7 Automobile emissions In this essay, I will explore Volkswagen and its diesel engine for US automobiles, as well as debate the morality of their actions. Also discussed are the impacts on pollution and how Volkswagen was able to get away with the dirty engine for so long. Volkswagen is an automobile company best known for its Beetle. They surpassed Toyota as the world's largest automaker in 2015 (Engine Trouble, minute 2:17). The brand was largely in Europe, with plans to expand into the United States. Because there was little concern for diesel emissions in Europe, when they began to look abroad, they had to adapt their attitude to diesel emissions. Volkswagen discovered that they could switch the automobile emissions system on and off to suit US rules. When the automobile was being tested for certification, the NOx filter would activate, causing the car to run clean and meet US requirements; but, once the car was on the road, the NOx filter would deactivate, causing the car to run dirty, comparable to European cars (Engine trouble, minute 12:16) Volkswagen created negative externalities in a morally questionable method by purposefully making the engine satisfy US requirements in order to flick the switch and have a filthy diesel engine. People who worked on the engine were warned not to be caught, and the US government provided Volkswagen an opportunity to solve the engine problem, which Volkswagen chose to disregard. Externalities are created in a morally problematic fashion for people because emissions entering the air remove petrochemicals from the air less and less, allowing harmful gases to enter the route. Volkswagen's decision to skirt US regulations shook the ecosystem. Because another corporation was getting away with it, this provided opportunity for other companies to break the law and operate as they saw fit. Volkswagen's NOx engine emissions impacted not just the natural environment, but also the societal cost of its activities, resulting in the problem of spillovers over an already restricted supply utilizing pollution and the loss of natural resources. Volkswagen saved money by turning the emissions system on and off. In the long run, a filthy engine will last longer, requiring less replacement and costing less. This incident may be
used to learn from. Car makers should observe this example and understand that there is no way around rules, and the government should utilize this example to scrutinize vehicles more thoroughly before certifying them. Volkswagen was taken to court by the US government for its pollution and pled guilty. The use of defeat devices is prohibited and turning the NOx emissions on and off is equivalent to using a defeat device. To settle, Volkswagen had to pay millions of dollars. I don't think this was adequate; Volkswagen can easily pay the compensation and is still in business. Volkswagen's limited perspective of corporate social responsibility resulted in government rules being breached and an even more contaminated environment. While money should not be a problem, we now have a more polluted globe that is depleting most natural resources, potentially destroying ecosystems. Before it's too late, the government should prioritize the type of oil used in automobiles. Works Cited: Engine Trouble.” Playing By the Rules: Ethics at Work, season 2, episode 1, Public Broadcasting Service, 11 Oct. 2018. PBS, www.pbs.org/video/playing-rules-ethics-work- whistleblower/ “The Environment .” Vitalsource Bookshelf Online , https://online.vitalsource.com/reader/books/9781305854963/pageid/263.
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