Page 10 - ARUBA TODAY

A10 WORLD NEWS
Tuesday 30 January 2018
German automakers face heat over tests on monkeys, humans

By DAVID McHUGH and by German initial EUGT, that was set up after the
GEIR MOULSON got all its funding from the emissions scandal broke
Associated Press three automakers. will hold a special meeting
FRANKFURT, Germany (AP) The New York Times report to examine whether there
— Public criticism of the was followed by one in are any other cases.
German auto industry has Monday’s edition of the Chancellor Angela
escalated on reports that Stuttgarter Zeitung daily Merkel’s spokesman, Stef-
diesel exhaust tests were that the now-closed re- fen Seibert, said that “the
carried out on both mon- search group also com- disgust many people are
keys and humans. missioned tests in which feeling is absolutely under-
The tests were reportedly humans were exposed to standable.”
carried out by a research nitrogen dioxide, which “These tests on monkeys
group funded by major belongs to a class of pollut- or even humans can in no
German auto companies. ant known as nitrogen ox- way be ethically justified,”
The German on Monday ides. The group reportedly Seibert said. “They raise
government condemned said the tests showed no many critical questions for
the experiments and Volk- effect on the subjects. those behind these tests,
swagen sought to distance In this Aug. 2, 2017 file photo the exhaust pipes of a VW Diesel The human study, carried and these questions must
itself from them as well, car are photographed in Frankfurt, Germany. out by Aachen Univer- urgently be answered.”
with its chairman saying Associated Press sity, involved exposing 25 He questioned the aims of
that “in the name of the late-model Volkswagen, companies’ vehicles also subjects, mostly students, the tests. “The automakers
whole board I emphatical- while another group was had higher emissions on to low levels of nitrogen have to reduce emissions
ly disavow such practices.” exposed to fumes from an the road than during test- dioxide — from a 40-liter of harmful substances fur-
Revelations of the tests older Ford pickup. ing, though not necessarily bottle, not a diesel engine. ther and further,” he said.
add a twist to the German The experiments were car- through illegal rigging. The The individuals gave in- “They should not be try-
auto industry’s attempt to ried out in 2014 before industry has had to fend off formed written consent for ing to prove the supposed
move past Volkswagen’s Volkswagen was caught calls for diesel bans in Ger- the study, which was ap- harmlessness of exhaust
scandal over cheating on using software that let ve- man cities with high pollu- proved by the ethics com- with the help of monkeys
diesel tests and the result- hicles cheat on emissions tion levels. mittee of the university’s or even humans.”
ing questioning of diesel tests. They were intended Daimler AG said it was “ap- medical faculty, accord- Seibert said that the super-
technology across the in- to show modern diesel palled by the nature and ing to the study. visory boards of the com-
dustry. technology had solved the extent of the studies” and The German government panies concerned “have
Volkswagen Chairman problem of excess emis- said that, though it did not condemned the reported a particular responsibility.”
Hans Dieter Poetsch said sions, but according to the have any influence on the tests on animals and hu- The governor of the Ger-
the tests must be “inves- New York Times report the studies’ design, “we have mans. Transport Minister man state of Lower Sax-
tigated completely and Volkswagen car in the tests launched a comprehen- Christian Schmidt “has no ony, a major shareholder
without reservation,” the was equipped with illegal sive investigation into the understanding for such in Volkswagen, added his
dpa news agency report- software that turned emis- matter.” tests ... that do not serve voice to calls for quick an-
ed. sions controls on while the BMW said that it “did not science but merely PR swers.
A report by the New York car was on test stands and participate in the men- aims,” spokesman Ingo Stephan Weil, who sits on
Times found that the re- off during regular driving. tioned study” on animal Strater told reporters in Ber- VW’s supervisory board,
search group financed by Volkswagen admitted us- “and distances itself from lin. stressed that “the behav-
top German car manufac- ing the software in 2015. this study.” It said it was in- He called for the compa- ior of the company must
turers commissioned exper- The Volkswagen scandal vestigating the work and nies concerned to provide in every respect fulfill ethi-
iments in which one group led to public scrutiny of background of the re- “immediate and detailed” cal demands.” He said he
of monkeys was exposed diesel emissions as regula- search group. The Times re- responses, and said a min- hadn’t known about the
to diesel exhaust from a tors discovered that other port said the group, known istry commission of inquiry tests.q

Fugitive Catalan chief seeks

parliament protection for vote

By CIARAN GILES chief in Tuesday’s session. the Catalan parliament
Associated Press But a Spanish judge has or- governing board approve
MADRID (AP) — Catalo- dered Puigdemont’s arrest Puigdemont’s request and
nia’s fugitive ex-president, on possible rebellion and encourage his attendance
Carles Puigdemont, asked sedition charges if he re- without the permit it would
the region’s parliament on enters Spain. The Constitu- set the chamber on course
Monday to guarantee his tional Court also said Puig- for further clashes with
right to attend a session this demont must get court per- Spain’s government and
week in which he hopes to mission to attend the ses- courts. Puigdemont is just
be re-elected government sion. Initially, Puigdemont one of more than a dozen
leader, without being ar- was expected to seek that, lawmakers and civic group
rested. Spain’s Constitu- but his lawyer said Monday leaders already under in-
tional Court ruled Saturday this was unlikely. The law- vestigation for rebellion
that Puigdemont, who fled yer did not rule out Puig- and sedition relating to an
Ousted Catalan leader Carles Puigdemont arrives to address to Belgium following an ille- demont’s attendance. The independence push that
the media after a meeting with the President of the Parliament gal declaration of indepen- Constitutional Court ruled brought Spain’s worst po-
of Catalonia Roger Torrent in Brussels on Wednesday, Jan. 24, dence last October, must the session would not be litical crisis in decades to a
2018.
Associated Press be present in parliament to valid if Puigdemont attends head. The slim majority re-
be chosen as the region’s without the permit. Should gainedq