Berlin, are there no more urgent sustainability needs to serve in Europe than having Volkswagen recall 8.5m diesel cars?

Sir, Jeevan Vasagar and Chris Bryant report “Berlin forces VW into mandatory recall of up to 8.5m diesel cars across Europe” October 16. Why on earth would Berlin do a dumb thing like that?

What will that cost? Are there no more urgent needs to serve in Europe than recalling diesel cars?

Is it because the hurt inept emissions controllers who were cheated now want revenge? A lover’s spat?

How does the world benefit from forcing VW into mandatory recall of up to 8.5m diesel cars across Europe?

What will that cost? Is Europe really so buoyant that it can pay for an 8.5m diesel cars recall across Europe?

Is recalling these cars the most effective way to cut emissions that pollute, and to help the earth’s sustainability?

How much useful research could not be funded with what is to be wasted on the recall of 8.5m diesel cars?

Frankly if you want to punish Volkswagen without punishing other don’t recall cars give the diesel car owners, or other, some Volkswagen shares instead.

Sir, as a reminder, here is a previous letter on that.

@PerKurowski ©

VW & emissions & controls: Fines for allowing itself to be tricked, should not become a revenue source for governments

The more I read about the Volkswagen affair the more convinced I become of that, what really does not bring anything to the table in terms of justice, economic efficiency or even sustainability, is having VW to pay huge fines to a government that hosted such inefficient emission controllers who allowed themselves to be tricked by clearly immoral but also quite ingenious engineering tricks.

On reading Richard Milne’s “Wolfsburg fears fallout from VW scandal” October 12 this is what I would suggest:

Decide on a substantial amount to fine Volkswagen for their misbehavior, but make it pay all that fine by issuing (green) shares in Volkswagen, to all who bought its diesel cars and to all of its employees. That way you do not weaken a company, or a city, while at the same time, presumably, you introduce among VW’s shareholders a wish for a better corporate behavior, so as not having their shareholder participation further diluted.

And then, just how you use hackers to assist you in building safety features for increased cyber-security condemn, all the Volkswagen engineers responsible for the misdeeds, to social work, by developing emission controls that work.

PS. This is somewhat similar to the fines on banks, which directly hurts their lending capacity, precisely when we need it the most.

@PerKurowski ©  J

World/Germany: Don’t fine Volkswagen for the benefit of those who should have controlled emissions better. Be smarter.

Sir, I refer to Chris Bryant’s “New VW chief signals cost cuts to pay for emissions bill” October 7.

If I were Volkswagen’s new chief executive, I would not accept, laying down, to “slash costs to help to foot the bill for the diesel emission scandal” No way! I would strengthen Volkswagen by making a counteroffer the world could not resists… because of its implications.

I would offer the authorities, in lieu of any fines related to The Scandal, to give to each of VW’s 600.000 employees, and to each of 11.000.000 of VW’s diesel car buyers, for example €1.000 in Volkswagen preferred "green" shares, convertible into ordinary VW shares.

And, if the offer was accepted, I would not waste one € correcting wrongdoings on the past, but instead duplicate the € 11,5bn research budget of last year.  But, that’s just me.

I dare you to find one environmentally concerned, who is not a statist, who would not agree with me.

PS. Volkswagen, don't delay your answer... the faster the better.

@PerKurowski ©  J