You see them at the red light in front of you. The light turns green, and they accelerate in a cloud of ugly, black smoke. Disgusted, you quickly change lanes and try to get ahead of the smoker. Phoenix has become a sewer of 18-wheeler diesel trucks because of its location at the intersection of several interstate freeways and its proximity to Mexico. In the meantime, Phoenix sits under an ugly brown cloud that often obscures the surrounding mountains.
Some people claim that diesel engines, if properly maintained, can be as clean as gasoline.
That is rarely the case in Arizona. There is no reason to believe that the situation in Lebanon will be any better. In addition, diesel engines tend to be noisier than gasoline engines of similar size, sounding like little bulldozers. The last thing we need in Lebanon is more noise, especially on Beirut's narrow, enclosed streets. Instead of taking a step backward, the Lebanese government should, if not ban them altogether due to international commerce reasons, limit diesel engines to international trucks traveling in and out of Lebanon on major highways.