The Toyota Corporation has developed new technology for their automobiles in hopes of bringing cleaner air by reducing diesel emissions. The corporation released the information in a press release this week, citing that it is set to roll automobiles equipped with the new technology by 2003.
The technology, given the name Diesel Particulate-NOx Reduction System (DNPR), will be inculcated into an electronically controlled fuel injection system. Toyota Corporation estimates reductions of "greater than 80% in both PM and NOx in the initial stage of operation, compared to the permitted level of exhausts from a two-ton diesel truck under 1998 Japanese regulation limits" according to an AFP report.
It is no new surprise that car pollution is one of the major contributors to the Greenhouse Effect. In urban settings around the world, the air quality has become deeply affected by this problem. For example, around 2,000 deaths a year are blamed on the air pollution in Hong Kong. This figure is illustrative of the current situation in the major cities around the world.
In fact, the air has become so severely affected by pollution in some of the world's most heavily populated cities that foreign investors have shied away from them, instead choosing more environmentally sound locations to set up business. According to a recent report by the Political & Economic Risk Consultancy, investors are slowly but surely running from China, India and Hong Kong due to the extreme levels of pollution.
With this new technology, Toyota Corp. could become the pioneer in an effort that could greatly improve the quality of air in major cities. With the hundreds of thousands of inhabitants living in any of the world's largest cities, one can imagine the amount of pollution that currently is destroying the quality of air. This effort could improve the quality of life for areas other than human interest. For example, plants would benefit greatly from this technology; in addition, animals would be impacted in a very positive way by the increase in air quality.
One setback of this technology is that there is no way to implement it into cars that are already on the road. Another important question is whether or not this technology will be available for all car manufacturers? At least some sort of prototype will hopefully be made available so that all major automobile companies will be able to benefit from it.
After all, this is an issue that affects the air quality worldwide, as well as the people that have to breath it every day. It doesn't make sense that one company will have access to this technology and great benefit, while everyone else is left in the dark. By default then, this should become a benefit that exceeds commercial benefit alone.
In the end, this is an exciting step towards providing the earth and its inhabitants with a vehicle that is more environmentally sound. The highly important aspect will come if the players of the major automobile companies can put aside consumer competition and instead use this device as a means to truly make the air throughout the world, especially in the major cities, cleaner and fresher for the benefit of people, plants and animals
