Clean Diesel Power for Earth Day and Everyday

How does the diesel engine impact the earth?

Where does diesel fit in a sustainable future?

These are questions that we should ask not only on Earth Day, but every day.

WASHINGTON--April 22, 2012: Diesel power is part of a sustainable clean energy future because it is the most energy-efficient internal combustion engine, it has near-zero emissions and is fully capable of using renewable biodiesel fuels.

"Clean Diesel Power for Earth Day and Everyday" Diesel Direct Earth Day Newsletter

Diesel Engines Power Economic Growth and Enable Human Progress Around the World

Economic growth and environmental protection go hand-in-hand. Today diesel engines power more than two-thirds of all construction and farm equipment , industrial and stationary engines. Diesel engines make progress possible in all corners of the world.

Diesel powers electrical generators used for providing power to remote villages in places like Malawi, enabling access to clean drinking water. Those engines are fueled by renewable biodiesel fuels . Basic infrastructure - roads, electricity and communication utilities, and public drinking and waste water systems - are all built and many are operated by diesel power.

Because of the expansive use of diesel power around the world, continuous improvements to diesel that lower emissions and reduce fuel consumption translate into larger scale gains for the environment and climate.

Cleaner Air Powered By Clean Diesel

From the smallest engines to the very largest, a fundamental transformation has taken place that has virtually eliminated emissions of compounds like particulate matter and nitrogen oxide from new diesel engines. Global diesel power customers have a range of increasingly environmentally friendly choices.

Meeting near-zero levels requires matching advanced engine technology with the cleanest ultra-low sulfur diesel fuel.

Clean Diesel Technology Cuts Greenhouse Gas (GHG) Emissions

Using energy-efficient clean diesel technologies that require less fuel (than gasoline or older model diesels) means fewer GHG emissions (CO2) and emissions of other compounds that have been identified as global warming potential (black carbon).

Every time a new clean diesel truck, farm tractor, construction machine or electric power generator is put in service, it reduces GHG emissions from the model it replaced. For example, new clean diesel truck engines are using five to eight percent less fuel today. For every gallon of diesel fuel not burned, 22.3 lbs of CO2 are not emitted. So for a truck running 120,000 miles a year at six mpg today and 6.18 mpg in 2014, that's a savings of 6.5 tons of CO2. When powered with certain blends of biodiesel, greenhouse gas emissions can be further reduced by roughly 15 percent.

Using More Clean Diesel in Cars and SUVs Reduces Demand for Petroleum

Diesel cars get about 30 percent better fuel economy than a comparable gasoline car. Today diesel cars make up only about three percent of all vehicles on the road. If 30 percent of the cars in the U.S. ran on diesel instead of gasoline, they would reduce the demand for oil by 1.4 million barrels a day - about the amount the U.S. imports from Saudi Arabia.