To make matters worse: from 2008 to 2015, Volkswagen launched a \u201cclean diesel\u201d ad campaign, preaching environmental responsibility. Already having great fuel economy and performance, VW was able to further attract customers by offering a \u201cgreener\u201d choice than their competitors and cement their position as an industry titan \u2013 recently passing Toyota as the world\u2019s largest automaker.<\/a>\u00a0This storm of deception created by VW ultimately took the wind out of the sails of its legitimate, ethical counterparts, who lost many potential customers due to these false advertisements. As an\u00a0avid supporter of a market economy and a strong believer in the invisible hand, I believe the government should loosen its grip on the economy. However, with less regulations, unscrupulousness acts like this occur more frequently than I\u2019d like to admit. The actions of Volkswagen show that government intervention may be necessary to maintain integrity: every company deserves to compete on a level playing-field.<\/p>\n The more important factor to consider is how the violation caused irreparable damage to the environment. There are much more toxic fumes coming out of the tailpipes of VW vehicles than we originally thought \u2013 250,000 to one million extra tonnes each year, to be exact. With climate change being a pressing issue in the world today, \u201cemissionsgate\u201d could deal a crushing blow to Volkswagen\u2019s public image. Enterprises must adopt certain social responsibilities not only to fulfill moral obligations we have as humans, but also to appease the general public, especially the eccentric world of social media, where news stories, good or bad, can spread like wildfire.<\/p>\n Volkswagen\u2019s questionable business ethics and negligence of social responsibility have certainly tainted the pristine image they\u2019ve worked so hard to uphold. Can they win the public back? Yes. Can they produce rule-abiding automobiles? Yes. Do they need to take a good look at themselves in the mirror? Absolutely.<\/p>\n Word count: 377<\/p>\n Sources:<\/p>\n Gates, Guilbert, Jack Ewing, Karl Russell, and Derek Watkins. “Explaining Volkswagen\u2019s Emissions Scandal.<\/a>” The New York Times<\/em>. The New York Times, 2016. Web. 12 Sept. 2016.![\"vw-diesel-ad-1\"](\"https:\/\/blogs.ubc.ca\/jasonchi\/files\/2016\/09\/vw-diesel-ad-1-300x170.jpg\")
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\nTopham, Gwyn, Sean Clarke, Cath Levett, Paul Scruton, and Matt Fidler. “The Volkswagen Emissions Scandal Explained.<\/a>” The Guardian<\/em>. Guardian News and Media, n.d. Web. 23 Sept. 2015.<\/p>\n