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Way tew GO!!!!! It's called, REsponsible LEADERSHIP!
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Date Posted: 19:30:29 07/21/02 Sun
Author Host/IP: 67.24.230.7
Gray Davis You Rock!
:)
SAN FRANCISCO, July 21 — When California Gov. Gray Davis signs a car emissions bill into law on Monday, he’ll be taking on not just the U.S. automotive industry but also President Bush. The law will require sharp cuts in emissions of carbon dioxide, a gas many scientists fear is warming the Earth. The industry and the president oppose mandatory cuts, but several other states — New York among them — could follow California’s path.
‘We have reasons to believe that some of the northeastern states are looking very closely at what’s going on here.’
— JIM BOYD
California Energy Commission
THE MEASURE will make California the first state to regulate vehicle emissions of so-called greenhouse gases.
Specifically, it orders the state’s Air Resources Board to adopt regulations that would achieve “the maximum feasible reduction” in greenhouse gas emissions from cars and light-duty trucks, the category that includes SUVs. The most direct route to cutting emissions is to make vehicles get more miles to the gallon. Higher mileage means fewer gases emitted per mile driven.
The regulations, which are to be completed by 2005, would not take effect until Jan. 1, 2006. The amended version of the bill also gives automakers until 2009 to come up with technological changes or modifications to comply with the new standards.
Below’s a look at both sides of the issue, the politics behind it, as well as how California’s action could be used by other states to circumvent federal regulations.
Davis, a Democrat, announced Friday that he would sign the bill. “It is urgent that we act,” Davis said in a conference call with reporters, noting that many scientists “believe that global warming is no longer a theory, it is a reality.”
Democrats across the country have attacked the Bush administration for failing to establish mandatory action to combat global warming, and environmental groups reacted with dismay when the federal government in April rejected a proposed 50 percent boost in fuel efficiency for gas-guzzling cars and SUVs.
In California — a Democratic stronghold with a strong record of environmental regulation — politicians moved to take the matter into their own hands, passing the new emissions bill by a narrow 41 to 30 vote in the state assembly this month.
“This bill represents another example of California showing leadership,” said Winston Hickox, head of the state’s Environmental Protection Agency. He also took a jab at the president, saying he felt “that Washington’s dropped the ball in cleaning up carbon pollution gasses that trap and change our climate.”
California officials say the bill is not excessive and is simply designed to nudge the automobile industry.
“Many of these technologies would work whether its on a European mini car or its on the largest SUV here,” said Tom Cackette, the Air Resources Board’s chief deputy executive officer.
Solar input
A third of the sun's energy is reflected back into space after hitting Earth's upper atmosphere, but two thirds warms the planet and drives its weather engine.
The atmosphere
A delicate balance of gases gives Earth its livable temperature. Known as "greenhouse" gases because they trap heat inside the atmosphere, they send a portion of that heat back to Earth's surface. The gases include water vapor, carbon dioxide, methane and nitrous oxide.
The oceans
Covering two thirds of Earth, oceans are the key source of moisture in the air and they store heat efficiently, transporting it thousands of miles. The oceans and marine life also consume huge amounts of carbon dioxide.
The water cycle
Higher air temperatures can increase water evaporation and melting of ice. And while water vapor is the most potent greenhouse gas, clouds also affect evaporation, creating a cooling effect.
Clouds
They both cool Earth by reflecting solar energy and warm Earth by trapping heat being radiated up from the surface.
Ice and snow
The whiteness of ice and snow reflects heat out, cooling the planet. When ice melts into the sea, that drives heat from the ocean.
Land surface
Mountain ranges can block clouds, creating ‘dry’ shadows downwind. Sloping land allows more water runoff, leaving the land and air drier. A tropical forest will soak up carbon dioxide, but once cleared for cattle ranching, the same land becomes a source of methane, a greenhouse gas.
Human influences
Humans might be magnifying warming by adding to the greenhouse gases naturally present in the atmosphere. Fuel use is the chief cause of rising carbon dioxide levels. On the other hand, humans create temporary, localized cooling effects through the use of aerosols, such as smoke and sulfates from industry, which reflect sunlight away from Earth.
Source: National Geographic; MSNBC
Printable version
THOSE AGAINST
The auto industry has criticized the bill as a “driving tax” designed to put a wedge between Californians and their beloved SUVs and pickup trucks — which now account for some 47 percent of passenger vehicles sold in the state, a percentage that has tripled over the last 30 years.
“The danger is that Californians may lose the choice to buy the vehicles they need for their families and work while Arizonans and Nevadans and Oregonians will still have that choice,” said Eron Shosteck, a spokesman for the Alliance of Automobile Manufacturers. “This gives unelected bureaucrats a blank check to design the cars that Californians will drive.”
The State of the World
Test your knowledge of the planet's health
Shosteck said the industry is mulling its options, including an effort to put a referendum on the bill on the November state ballot and a possible legal challenge to California’s right to override federal fuel efficiency standards.
“This bill is all pocketbook pain and no environmental gain,” Shosteck said. “The Air Resources Board wants everyone driving around in golf carts.”
Check this list to see which 2002 vehicles scored highest and lowest in the annual "Green Book" by the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy. The "Green Score" is based on estimates of health and global-warming costs attributed to each vehicle, with 100 being the best possible score.
Choose a car:--Greener carsHonda InsightToyota PriusHonda Civic HXFord Focus WagonSuzuki Esteem WagonSaturn L100/200Toyota RAV4Chevrolet ImpalaToyota TacomaToyota HighlanderChevrolet Venture¹Ford F-150--Greenest carsHonda Insight²Honda Civic GX³Toyota RAV4 EVToyota PriusHonda Civic HXToyota EchoNissan Sentra CAHonda CivicMitsubishi MirageToyota CorollaChevrolet PrizmSaturn SL--Meanest carsDodge Ram Pickup 2500Chevrolet Suburban K2500GMC Yukon XL K2500Cadillac EscaladeGMC Yukon DenaliFord ExcursionLamborghini L-147GMC Sierra K2500Chevy Silverado K2500Mercedes-Benz G500Dodge Ram Wagon 2500Lexus LX 470Toyota Land CruiserChevrolet AvalancheLincoln Navigator
Engine type
City Mileage
Hwy Mileage
Green Score
1. Also, Oldsmobile Silhouette and Pontiac Montana with same specifications.
2. The manual transmission version of this car scores nearly as well.
3. Compressed natural gas (CNG) vehicle fuel economy given in gasoline-equivalent miles per gallon.
4. Electric vehicle fuel economy given in miles per kilowatt-hour.
5. Automatic transmission versions of these models score nearly as well.
SOURCE: American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy
STATE’S INFLUENCE
California officials concede that even if the state is successful in legislating a cut in greenhouse gas emissions, that alone will do little to stop the overall rise in world temperatures. While the United States contributes roughly 25 percent of the global greenhouse gasses, California — long a national leader in tough air pollution regulations — is not among the top emitters.
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MSNBC Interactive
• Build your own Green SUV for a virtual road trip
But those officials argue that the state’s action will set an example for other states and even nations to follow.
That’s because California, alone among U.S. states, has the ability to impose its own air quality standards because its Air Resources Board was established before the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency was formed under the Clean Air Act of 1970.
The act also allows other states to follow California’s standards rather than the federal ones.
Environment news
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In New York, a state legislator has suggested introducing a bill similar to California’s, while officials in other states are believed to be studying their alternatives.
“We have reasons to believe that some of the northeastern states are looking very closely at what’s going on here,” said Jim Boyd, a member of the California Energy Commission.
Environmentalists agree. The move, the Natural Resources Defense Council stated, “promises to reshape the global warming debate throughout the United States.”
Reuters contributed to this story.
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California to slash cars’ carbon gases: Citing global warming, state takes on industry and Bush