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Soot usually means unburned fuel. Depending on availability and cost, trains and road fleets are using natural gas in diesel engines. Corning Inc. is doing a great deal of work on emissions reduction for diesel engines. There are regulations for vehicles sold here and some make more sense than others. There are marketing decisions made as to what vehicles are sold in a given market. Why people buy SUVs and never drive off road has more to do with image than substance. Currently we are afraid that our vehicles are not massive enough to protect us in a crash. Diesels are fine for trucks and German cars but are "too slow" to support the American self image. The GM conversion 350 diesel cars didn't help either. Govenment ineptitude is more common than conspiracy, though the results may be similar. Despite all the ignorance and paranoia in the media, we still can build and own cars that can get 75 mpg or more if we put in the effort. Most of that comes from good aerodynamics and sensible driving. Much of the technology was developed in the 1980s after the oil embargo of 1973.
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