Will the Real Green Car Advocate Please Stand Up?
Both Senators McCain and Obama have expressed support towards the development of alternative fuel and vehicle technologies - but which candidate has the best green car platform? The Christian Science Monitor brought together five clean energy experts to assess each candidate's platform. Here's where the candidates stand:Obama:
1- Calls for federal investments of $150 billion over 10 years for next-generation fuels and for commercialization of plug-in hybrids.
2- Wants an expansion of locally-owned biofuel refineries.
3- Plans to add 36 billion gallons of renewable fuels to fuel supply by 2022.
4- Intends to double fuel economy standards within 18 years, while offering tax breaks and federal loan guarantees to US auto companies.
5- Calls for federal tax credits for hybrids.
6- Wants all new cars to be flex-fuel vehicles.
McCain:
1- Wants to create a tax credit for consumers of up to $5,000 for buying a green car.
2- Plans to establish penalties to car companies for violating federal fuel-efficiency standards.
3- Calls for a $300 million prize to improve battery technology for plug-in hybrid or electric cars.
4- Wants to remove or reduce tariffs on imported ethanol.
What is interesting, however, is that both McCain and Obama have recently come out in support of off-shore drilling for oil. Such a move sends a message to automakers to continue production of internal combustion engine vehicles, rather than stimulate alternative vehicle development.
As we move into the next U.S. Presidency, it is important for potential candidates to consider the wider ramifications of green car policy development. Such initiatives need to be thought out in a comprehensive fashion to avoid sending mixed signals to the industry.
[Source: Christian Science Monitor]
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
Jay 11:03PM (8/05/2008)
Obama isn't "in favor of" off-shore drilling, he simply decided he could live with it as part of a compromise comprehensive energy plan. He still says it won't solve any problems, but why hold up meaningful legislation over an issue that polling shows the huge majority of Americans support?
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Brock 11:42PM (8/05/2008)
Green cars? That's the least of the Green issues.
Don't forget to mention McCain's policy for "Nuclear Winter" when he kicks both China and Russia out of the G8 and sends us on a perilous path back to Cold War attitudes and probable WWIII.
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rj 1:30AM (8/06/2008)
so thats how we solve global warming
GoodCheer 3:17PM (8/06/2008)
China has never been a member of the G8. Did you mean Japan?
Did you mean the UN security counsel?
Chris M 11:34PM (8/05/2008)
The similarity in their approaches isn't suprising. After winning their respective primaries catering to the far right and far left, they are now scrambling to woo the moderates in the middle. Nice to know that good fuel economy and conservation is now considered part of the "moderate mainstream" thanks to global warming and high fuel prices.
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Brent 8:38PM (8/06/2008)
LOL. The average american doesn't give a crap about global warming. The high cost of fuel is their only concern.
Mik_Cal 10:54PM (8/06/2008)
There is no "far left" in this country...or at least it is miniscule. The notion that liberals are "far left" is a right wing talking point.
Serge 9:36AM (8/07/2008)
Everything looks [far] on the left from the far right perspective ;)
goehring 10:25AM (8/07/2008)
Brent,
I'm afraid you may be right.
"The average american doesn't give a crap about global warming."
88% of Americans believe global warming threatens future generations
http://www.time.com/time/nation/article/0,8599,1176967,00.html
But few seem willing to do much about it.
TKG
Mike!!ekiM 11:38PM (8/05/2008)
As much as I respect Mr. McCain's service, he's just the figurehead. The Republican puppet strings will still be pulled by Big Oil. There are 50 issues I care about, the thing with John McCain is if the public cares about an issue he will bend to the will of the public. But, I haven't got time to be watchdog to 50 issues.
Watching an Obama presidency will just be EASIER.
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Brent 10:36PM (8/06/2008)
Yeah, I am excited to see all the newb mistakes by obama.
MikeInNC 8:18AM (8/07/2008)
re: McCain will "he will bend to the will of the public"? Are you kidding? I'm no big fan of McCain but have you not been watching Obama's positional changes over the last 60 days? He's never met an opinion he didn't like. He has the political backbone of a rain soaked straw of wheat in a windy field. If we can count on anything in an Obama presidency it's the fact that we'll have to turn on the TV everyday to find out what his "opinion-of-the-hour" will be.
Mike!!ekiM 11:52PM (8/05/2008)
I listened into a phone Town Hall, and one questioner asked Mr. McCain about the huge federal debt, and how it will be our grandchildren who have to clean up this mess.
John, started to sound like a real "Old School" republican for about 2 minutes, but then promised that no taxes will be raised. That he's still for more tax cuts.
That's where he lost me.
First there's the debt, then there's the interest on the debt, and then there's the balance of trade issue, with US dollars going overseas to fund terrorists.
In my opinion, a modest tax increase to stop the run-away fiscal disaster is an imperative. I don't want the US to be OWNED by China when my children are grown.
Spending cuts would be nice too... Along with an end to a pointless war. Still, there's some money in "my" budget to "Get Osama", dead or alive. Ah, the old days.
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vfx 12:30AM (8/06/2008)
Obama's tax credit on a green car is up to $7K
That's a 7% of a Tesla!
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Ronal IQ 12:35AM (8/06/2008)
Shannon, I agree with Jay. Obama has not flip-floped on offshore oil drilling. He has said, he is willing to compromise with the republican senators as long as they also approved renewables as part of americas Energy plan, he has not said he is now for offshore drilling. Which is I think is a good way, of getting some kind of energy policy done. When you negotiate, you have to give some in order to get some.
BTW check this Video of Paris Hilton attacking McCain on his energy policy. what she said makes sense, see link after the jump.
http://www.funnyordie.com/videos/4178033806
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James Bowe 3:23PM (8/06/2008)
7% of a Tesla, or about 17% of a chevy volt. Perhaps 30% of a smart EV??? GObama
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jstdadd 6:04PM (8/13/2008)
$7,000 on my all-electric Aptera typ-1e is almost 26%! Say it's true! That's a nice down-payment!
Chris 3:31PM (8/06/2008)
It's a sad day when Paris Hilton has a better approach to an energy policy than a presidential candidate.
I already have a tire presure guage that I use regularly, thank you!
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Gabo 2:07PM (8/08/2008)
Shannon,
This is only a negative for you if your goal to have green cars at all cost.
For those of us that are interested in our cost of living, inflation, and energy independence, the idea of drilling more oil is very appealling.
Either way, legalizing drilling for ANWR and offshore doesn't have to mean actual drilling. The move is first and foremost tactical, and it will encourage OPEC countries, et al., to pump more oil, lest we pump the oil ourselves.
nice blog though.
El Gabo Gringo.
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vfx 5:43PM (8/06/2008)
"legalizing drilling for ANWR ... it will encourage OPEC countries, et al., to pump more oil, lest we pump the oil ourselves."
Or it will just incite them to cut off our oil supply. They don't need the money and they did it in the 70's for political reasons.
Since there is so little oil offshore (3%) and all our other wells have been declining in output since 72' it won't help much and just might anger them. Let's get our cars off oil like we should have starting long before EV1.