Automakers and CARB meet to negotiate CO2 standards?
According to The Aspen Institute, members of the Natural Resources Defense Council, the Sierra Club and the Union of Concerned Scientists, along with the California Air Resources Board, have met to hash out their differences with representatives from Ford, General Motors, Honda and Toyota. The topic is the proposed carbon emissions standards . We don't know much about how the talks are proceeding because all parties have decided to keep the discussions confidential. They have only released the following statement: "The parties succeeded in developing an enhanced understanding of each others' perspectives and concerns."The issue of whether California even has the right to set its own air quality standards instead of going along with national policies for fuel efficiency has been a hot topic since the Bush Administration denied California the waiver it would need. Shortly after taking office, President Obama urged the EPA to reconsider California's waiver.
If California is granted this right, a large group of states are expected to adopt the legislation as well, which would have the effect of raising fuel efficiency requirements without actually modifying them, as carbon dioxide is one of the byproducts emitted through the burning fossil fuels in our automobiles. Expect to hear plenty more on the issue in the coming weeks.
[Source: The Aspen Institute via Automotive News - sub. req'd]
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Tim 10:07AM (1/30/2009)
Let's look at the facts:
Fact: According to Al (Mr. Internet) Gore, over 2,000 scientists agree with man made global warming. To those who have been programmed the mainstream media, this is established religious dogma that only a complete (choose your name here such as “crackpot”) would dispute. Of course, these “scientists” need more taxpayer money to “research” global warming.
Fact: Over 31,000 American scientists have signed this petition which says (in part):
“There is no convincing scientific evidence that human release of carbon dioxide, methane, or other greenhouse gasses is causing or will, in the foreseeable future, cause catastrophic heating of the Earth's atmosphere and disruption of the Earth's climate. Moreover, there is substantial scientific evidence that increases in atmospheric carbon dioxide produce many beneficial effects upon the natural plant and animal environments of the Earth. “
http://www.oism.org/pproject/
Fact: That’s 15.5:1 against!
(so much for "democracy" you Statist "progressive" hypocrites)
Fact: The “blind faithful sheeple” need only “blind faith” to believe. That’s Religion!
I say WHO CARES because we ALL want to be good stewards of our environment and we ALL want to be ENERGY INDEPENDANT.
STOP blowing the “Man Made Co2 Causes Global Warming” LIE up our skirts and STOP trying to kill the American Automakers with endless costly regulation!
Comrades, please STOP the lies, theory and religious dogma.
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JohnZ 6:42AM (2/02/2009)
Excellent pointer Tim.
I for one hope this CO2 Global Warming Scam gets killed soon before it does excess damage to the other legitimate environmental issues and energy independence.
Tim 8:41AM (2/02/2009)
The statist's (Democrat-Socialists & NeoCon-Fascists) LUST for money and power knows no bounds and they believe that the ends justify the means which makes them VERY dangerous to truth and liberty.
Good wants to be left alone while EVIL wants to "help" everyone even if they don't need or want the "help" because it's "for their own good". Perhaps this "power grab" lie is the most dangerous one threatening liberty.
Those who will trade their freedom for security will gain neither.
Randy C. 12:08PM (1/30/2009)
This brings up a thought I once had. CAFE standards need to be written in such a way that electric cars count significantly. Do it such a way that 2 Hummer's with poor gas mileage can be offset by selling 1 electric car. This would give the auto makers an incentive to produce and promote more electric cars. They wouldn't have to rely on making up the CAFE difference by trying to squeeze every tenth of a mile gain from their other cars. The same applies to CO2 emissions.
If it was more beneficial to build 1 full size electric car than 2 super efficient little gas cars then the business would go that way. The auto makers just need to educate the public about the advantages of EV's and in the process alleviate the biggest stumbling block to wide spread EV use, range anxiety.
This would still allow the use of full sized SUV's. As non politically correct as they are some people do need big high powered SUV's. Trying to pull the Hummer's gas mileage up with hybrid technology just wont work well for the dollars spent.
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Skeptic 1:17PM (1/30/2009)
I don't trust any closed door negotiations to benefit the average citizen unless it just happens to coincide with the movement of money.
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