Chris, thank you for that write up. Excellent stuff in there, and things that, as you pointed out, a lot of people don't know or realise.
I have a few theories (opinion, a smelly asshole?
) as to the origin of the political motivations behind the decisions that are made which appear foolish to regular folks like you and I who see eye-to-eye on environmental issues.
It occurs to me, that whenever there is a decision that could be made to produce efficient, low-impact energy, versus one that leads to increased use of oil and gas, which incidentally (I say incidentally because they don't do it on purpose,
they simply don't care. AT ALL.) have high environmental impact, the root of the matter is Big Oil. They have their hands shoved up to the elbows in the ass of Government that they're working the politicos like a handpuppet.
Think about that everytime you hear about a decision that King George has made for you. What are his motivations? He has a vested interest in Oil Futures. He is involved in the oil industry. He has owned oil companies for crying out loud. What else do you think dictates his (and probably a lot of other politicos') decisions? ($Monetarily$) Motivated Self-Interest.
Think about that when you ask yourself why your nation's army is still in Iraq killing civilians? Duke Dick of Cheney has his fingers in the Halliburton Warmongery Pie. Motivated Self Interest.
It's wrong, and just a little bit dishonest, but they get away with it because they are some of the most powerful men on the planet. Who is going to stop them?
Sorry to digress so much from the topic at hand.
Thanks again Chris for your insightful discussion of the topic at hand. I appreciate that you are sharing your passion for your chosen field of study with the rest of us.
And as for the original topic, I fully endorse the diesel Outback. Heck, diesels should be available in more models (from EVERY manufacturer), like they are in Europe. I would buy one.
This is just a stepping stone to something else that Subaru has in the works, that they showed off at the Tokyo Motor Show last year (or was it the year before?): the hybrid turbodiesel. Combine a small boxer turbodiesel with an electric hybrid drivetrain (technology courtesy of Toyota IIRC). I believe the concept was called the B5.
And to the naysayers talking about the new diesels which require expensive urea and NOx Particulate filter maintenance, it should be noted that Honda is bringing to market a superclean diesel which does not require urea injection, and still meets Cali emission standards. It was in C&D recently.
I've said my bit. Thanks for listening/reading.
*BRACES FOR IMPACT*