MOSSVILLE, Ill. - Tired of, and even threatened by, the critics of diesel-fueled engines, Caterpillar has launched the Diesel Engine Campaign Association to represent the industry and educate the public on the merits of today's low-emission diesel-powered products.

"Our industry must step up and present a unified front," said Bill Mayo, general manager of Caterpillar's Truck Engine Division. "If we don't, we may be regulated out of business and the public may lose diesel as a viable power source in the future."

Part one of that strategy is the launch of an industry-wide campaign to communicate the environmental friendliness and economic benefits of the diesel engine. It is expected to be in place by mid-year.

Much of that effort focuses on the emission improvements made in recent years and further reductions in carbon dioxide and particulates that are expected to follow in the future. Caterpillar notes diesel engines now emit one-third less carbon dioxide than gasoline engines. Also, NOx emissions have been reduced by 70 percent and diesel emissions will be reduced by an additional 50 percent over the next decade, according to the company. Those improvements are often lost on the community, says the company.

"When someone sees an out-moded, smelly, poorly maintained bus or truck, it's easy to assume all diesel products represent an environmental threat," said Cat's Marsha Baker who has been named to head the campaign.

The economic implications of diesel are significant, according to Baker. Without diesel-powered transportation products, fully 77 percent of America's communities would not have access to goods necessary for everyday living. Eliminating diesel as a viable power source would collapse America economy, she said. She noted that trucking companies purchased more than 262,000 Class 8 trucks in 1999 -- surpassing the previous record, set in 1998, of nearly 210,000 vehicles.