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The Big Lie


Marcus Griffin
Dr. Cantice Green
English 1102
23 September 2017

The Big Lie

       In the essay “How Serious Was the Volkswagen Scandal” (2017) Jacob Skovran highlights the details that became the largest scandal in automotive history.  Skovran reveals how the US EPA asserted Volkswagen was using sophisticated software to create a "defeat device" (203) to circumvent test that would show its diesel vehicles failed US emissions standards.  Skovran supports his argument by first providing background details about differences between diesel and gasoline engines and pollution; then he thoroughly explains how Volkswagen's actions impacted the environment in order to highlight the negative impact of carbon emissions.  The audience for this essay is anyone interested in business ethics or environmental issues.

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     I can recall first hearing about the VW scandal in 2015.  As the owner of a 2009 VW Beetle, I was very disappointed to discover how VW was using software to defeat emission test.  I agree with Skovran’s idea of constant innovation and how competition impacts the automotive industry and business in general. Additionally, he expounds on the current global agenda to drive “more efficient cars” (202) and goes on to discuss how “engineers must work harder than ever to design efficient [and] powerful cars that meet the stiff regulations set by governments” (202).  Skovran provides detail about diesel engines versus gasoline in what he calls a “great option for high fuel economy ”, but “more pollutants than gasoline engines” (202). Overall I am disappointed in VW more so after reading Skovran’s essay. I understand better the lengths VW would go to earn a profit at the cost of the environment and eventually public opinion. 

Mariordo Mario Roberto Duran Ortiz
     Skorvan used publicly known details and personal opinion about the scandal to convey his opinion.  He discusses gasoline and diesel engine differences calling diesel engines “option for high fuel economy at a low cost” (202). Skorvan also focuses on the “cheat devices” (203), software enhancements that allowed VW cars to pass EPA test for emissions while emitting dangerous levels of pollutants; “more than 34 times the EPA standard” (205).  Skorvan uses Logos to appeal to the reader's sense of logic by presenting information and facts to support his argument that Volkswagen knowingly set out to harm the environment and defraud customers.



Citation
Skovran, Jacob. "How Serious Was the Volkswagen Scandal?" Connections: Guide to First-Year
     Writing at Clayton State University. Ed. Mary R. Lamb. Texas: Fountainhead Press, 2017. 
     202-206. Print.

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