A 40 percent increase in fuel economy results in a 29 percent decrease in carbon dioxide emissions from that source. Use of advanced energy storage and conversion technologies also will improve vehicular fuel economies. Typical goals are 80 miles per gallon for a midsize automobile by the year 2004. Measures to resolve remaining particulate programs are expected to be implemented in the next four years. Actually, diesel engines have substantially lower hydrocarbon and nitrous oxide emissions than gasoline engines.
Diesel fuel is also safer.
In France, according to figures released by Diesel Fuel News, where half of the autos sold since 1989 are diesel, collisions involving gasoline-powered vehicles in 1994 resulted in 4,000 deaths as a result of gasoline fires. However, taxes on gasoline would provide improved opportunities to market ethanol and other fuels made from farm byproducts. Kansas is a net importer of coal, gasoline and diesel fuel. If technology allows us to replace imported gas and oil, the state stands to benefit. For example, technology can be used to increase the efficiency of electrical power plants.