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Repugs Move Away From Bush On Global Warming Email Print

By boran2
11/15/2005 11:46:11 AM EST

The Bush administration has regarded global warming, for the most part, as just so much silly speculation.  The President has refused to take the lead in regulating the sources of greenhouse gases, prefering to seek only voluntary restraints.  In 2001, President Bush took the US out of the Kyoto Protocol.  Instead, the ironically named Clear Skies legislation was offered, seeking to roll back standards.

Now, several state governers, including Republicans, have taken the initiative.  New York State's Governor George Pataki (Who, despite assertions to the contrary, is not in 12 year coma.) broke away from the administration's stance and proposed legislation this past May curbing automobile emissions.  New York State has taken a similar approach to California, which passed legislation a year ago.

http://www.planetark.org/da ilynewsstory.cfm/newsid/334 02/story.htm

NEW YORK - Cars sold or registered in New York State must cut carbon dioxide emissions beginning in 2009, state officials said on Wednesday, in Republican Gov. George Pataki's latest break with the Bush Administration over steps to cut greenhouse gases.

Pataki, who is considering a run for president, in May proposed the regulation to cut greenhouse gases from cars. California passed similar rules about a year ago to curb emissions most scientists believe are leading to global climate change.

This effort has not gone unnoticed.

"Now New York is taking an all-encompassing effort to get at global warming both through power plants and transportation," said Kit Kennedy, an attorney at the Natural Resources Defense Council. "New York isn't waiting for President Bush or the federal government to take action," she said.

http://www.nytimes.com/2005 /11/11/opinion/11fri3.html

The larger issue here is one of political leadership. President Bush has refused to regulate greenhouse gas emissions from any source - cars, power plants or industrial sites - preferring instead a softer, voluntary approach that has yielded little progress. Congress, meanwhile, has refused to mandate significant increases in fuel efficiency.

Impatient governors who take global warming more seriously than Mr. Bush and Congress do - including Republicans like Arnold Schwarzenegger and Mr. Pataki - have therefore decided to take matters into their own hands.

In the vacuum of national leadership a regional effort has taken hold.  In the northeast, 9 states have formed a group to address greenhouse gas emissions.

Pataki and eight other governors in the Northeast also are attempting to regulate greenhouse emissions from power plants through a group called the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative. That effort has yet to be passed by individual states.

Other states are also addressing auto emissions in their own legislation.  Some are still works in progress.

Last week, Vermont ruled it would cut carbon emissions from cars. Massachusetts, Maine Connecticut and Rhode Island are also moving to adopt similar rules.

When it is all said and done, almost one third of the retail automobile market will be covered by the new regulations.


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Repugs Move Away From Bush On Global Warming | 3 comments (3 topical, editorial, 0 hidden)
Of course, not all agree: (none / 0)
The auto industry and regulators differ on whether the regulations fall under fuel efficiency standards, something only the federal government is allowed to regulate.

"Automakers need a consistent national policy for fuel economy, and national fuel economy standards cannot be written by any single state or group of states," said Gloria Bergquist, spokeswoman in Washington for the Alliance of Automobile Manufactures, which filed suit in California to block regulation there.

But regulators say the rule is about auto emissions and not fuel economy and that it gives automakers flexibility in how to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

http://www.planetark.org/da ilynewsstory.cfm/newsid/334 02/story.htm

Fear will keep the local systems in line. -Grand Moff Tarkin

by boran2 on 11/15/2005 11:50:39 AM EST

The Fox Factor (none / 0)
When Fox News leaves the reservation and starts running specials on global warming, you start to realize the evidence has gotten to clear to sweep under the rug.  Republicans are scrambling to salvage something out of this, but they know they're going down.

Actually, I'd just as soon see the CAFE standards drop, as they seem to drive nothing but industry cheating on vehicle classification.  Instead, I'd suggest a mileage credit as proposed in the Energize American plan over on kos, giving consumers a greater incentive to go for vehicles at the top of the mileage heap.

by Devilstower on 11/15/2005 02:42:57 PM EST

[ Parent ]
Of course,... (none / 0)
...if the price of gas stays high, the market will continue to demand higher mileage (and lower emission) vehicles without intervention.  But obviously we wouldn't want to depend upon the vagaries of gas prices.    

Fear will keep the local systems in line. -Grand Moff Tarkin

by boran2 on 11/15/2005 04:11:38 PM EST

[ Parent ]
Repugs Move Away From Bush On Global Warming | 3 comments (3 topical, 0 editorial, 0 hidden)
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