Particulate emissions are a huge bugbear at the present moment in the USA. Diesel soot is a bad thing, of course, since it contains carcinogens and is all breathable (goes right down the lungs). The irrational part is going after light duty diesels rather than the old over-the-road smokers -- an old Mack or Peterbuilt probably produces more smoke running up from a light on Highway 41 here that my 300D will produce in a year, and that is if it is in good shape!

The solution is oxygenated fuel (biodiesel!) -- the city ran the busses in town on peanut oil mix for a year -- wonderful odor of roasting peanuts instead of stinky diesel smell, and almost no particulate emissions. Instead, the bureacrats are trying to ban light duty diesels.

The real kicker is that gasoline engines ALSO produce particulates, composed of manganese oxide and other residual metals from the fuel, and these particulates aren't any better than the ones from diesels. To say nothing of the unburned hydrocarbons, carbon monoxide, and NOx emissions that are much higher for gasoline engines that diesels.

Go figure!

Peter

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1972 220D ?? miles
1988 300E 200,012
1987 300D Turbo killed 9/25/07, 275,000 miles
1985 Volvo 740 GLE Turobodiesel 218,000
1972 280 SE 4.5 165, 000 - It runs!