> An easier to see example is with dishwashers and toilets. The new generation of toilets created by EPA regulations has made toilets that don't really flush ve

> An easier to see example is with dishwashers and toilets. The new generation of toilets created by EPA regulations has made toilets that don't really flush very well and are more expensive than before; people end up flushing multiple times which then wastes water. A similar comparison is diesel cars. For the last 15 years or so, all diesel cars have come with a diesel particulate filter (DPF) that removes a lot of the soot and other nasty things that come out of a diesel engine. First of all, these systems mean the engine uses more fuel, as the components of the DPF need to be kept hot to operate properly (the same as a catalytic converter on petrol engines). However as the car gets older (~150,000km) the filter will end up getting pretty blocked up. This means the engine will produce less power, consume even more fuel, and if it becomes blocked enough, eventually damage the engine. At this point you will be faced with a bill of a few thousand euro to replace the system - on a car that's probably not worth much more. Or as is common in a lot of Eastern European countries, just remove it, and drive another 150,000km. This is illegal in quite a few European countries, but if the job has been done properly, it's basically impossible to tell. European emissions testing doesn't test for these type of emissions, so you won't have any problems there.