Diesel Technology Forum Marks Earth Day
On April 22, people in more than 190 countries commemorated Earth Day, environmental accomplishments and the environmental agenda.
Allen Schaeffer, executive director of the Diesel Technology Forum, said clean diesel technology is a major environmental achievement that has contributed to a cleaner environment while powering the global economy.
“Clean diesel technology has significantly reduced emissions, increased efficiency and improved the everyday lives of people throughout the world,” Schaeffer said in a statement issued to commemorate Earth Day.
“From tending farms that help feed the world, building roads and clean water infrastructure that connect communities, powering a commercial truck for taking goods to market, or moving a fuel-efficient personal car, diesel technology is enabling progress and prosperity in the cleanest possible manner,” Schaeffer said.
Innovation, research and development have enabled manufacturers to produce new diesel engines and equipment, including a wide range of engine sizes with emissions at near zero levels, improved fuel efficiency, and a capability to utilize a wide range of renewable biodiesel fuels from an array of feed stocks, Schaeffer said. This is important because diesel “is the predominant power source in key sectors of the global economy including the technology of choice for over 90 percent of all global trade”—for road-building, farming, moving goods to market and providing essential public services, Schaeffer said.
“Additionally, most diesel engines today can run on high-quality blends of biodiesel with little modification as well as next-generation, drop-in renewable diesel fuels which offer even further benefits,” Schaeffer said. “According to the U.S. EPA, biodiesel is classified as an ‘Advanced Biofuel’ capable of reducing greenhouse gas emission by at least 50 percent. Renewable diesel fuel is derived from the same feedstocks as biodiesel.”
The Diesel Technology Forum, Washington, D.C., is a non-profit organization dedicated to raising awareness about diesel engines, fuel and technology. Forum members represent the modern clean-diesel system: advanced engines, vehicles and equipment; cleaner diesel fuel; and emissions-control systems. For more information visit the Forum’s website, dieselforum.org.