By Chris Maxcer TechNewsWorld Part of the ECT News Network
05/15/07 2:59 PM PT
Now that Supreme Court has ruled that the EPA is responsible for cutting greenhouse gas emissions from motor vehicles, President Bush has called for cuts in CO2 emissions. The goals include measures that would significantly increase government fuel efficiency requirements in small cars for the first time in two decades. The move, however, may come too late in his presidency to have any real teeth.
How Much is 'Free' Costing You? Learn how DaveRamsey.com saw a 567% uplift in ROI with Omniture. This complimentary guide and webinar cover the most important factors in selecting an analytics solution. Download Now.
In response to a Supreme Court ruling that found carbon dioxide qualifies as an air pollutant under the Clean Air Act, President Bush has called for changes designed to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 2008.
"Last month, the Supreme Court ruled that the EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) must take action under the Clean Air Act regarding greenhouse gas emissions from motor vehicles," President Bush said in the Rose Garden Monday. "So today, I'm directing the EPA and the Department of Transportation, Energy and Agriculture to take the first steps toward regulations that would cut gasoline consumption and greenhouse gas emissions from motor vehicles, using my 20-in-10 plan as a starting point."
Bush's 20-in-10 plan is a goal he set forth in his most recent State of the Union address. It aims to cut America's gasoline usage by 20 percent over the next 10 years.
Alternative Fuels
Part of the proposal is to set a mandatory fuel standard that calls for 35 billion gallons of renewable and other alternative fuels by 2017. "That's nearly five times the current target," Bush noted.
The other part of the president's proposal is to increase automobile fuel efficiency. His administration has twice increased fuel economy standards for light trucks, but government standards for passenger cars have essentially gone unchanged for two decades.
Part of the president's rationale for making changes is to reduce American dependence on oil, he said, which is a risk for the U.S. economy because a supply disruption could have a harmful impact by driving up fuel costs. In addition, he said dependence on oil makes America more vulnerable to hostile regimes and terrorists.
Not So New?
"It looks to me likes he's offering old wine in a new bottle to some extent," H. Sterling Burnett, a senior fellow with the National Center for Policy Analysis, told TechNewsWorld. "He says he's going to do something, both about climate change and energy dependence, and the plans that he's trying out are things that he's already offered. ... [As] for his new rules and regulations? Well, they are going to be done when? As he's leaving the White House and turning the keys over to the new president, basically."
Burnett not sure that raising fuel economy standards is going to generate much savings in fuel use and emissions, he added.
"The reason is, if we raise fuel economy standards, you make it cheaper to drive. And when you make something cheaper that people like to do, they do more of it," he explained.
Attack of the Killer iPods? May 11, 2007
A study from the Thoracic and Cardiovascular Institute at Michigan State University has raised concerns about the possibility that iPods could cause pacemakers to fail. Are iPods, which work in ways that are essentially very similar to many other MP3 devices, being unfairly singled out? Are they any more dangerous than cell phones, for instance, which actively broadcast signals?
Related Stories
IBM Commits $1B to Cure Data Center Energy Crisis May 10, 2007
IBM is launching a plan called "Project Big Green," in which it will endeavor to substantially reduce data center energy consumption and turn business and tech infrastructures into "green" data centers. The company will start investing $1 billion each year for this effort.
States Gang Up on Greenhouse Gases With Climate Registry May 09, 2007
Thirty-one states representing more than 70 percent of the U.S. population have teamed up to create The Climate Registry, an initiative that tracks greenhouse gas emissions. California's Campo Kumeyaay Nation and the Canadian provinces of British Columbia and Manitoba are also founding members of the effort.
Trading Greenhouse Gases and Carbon on the Internet, Part 2 January 22, 2007
"The level of investment is accelerating, and I do not see any reason why it will moderate. You can debate around oil pricing and how much that is driving it, but there are other factors here at play -- energy security [and] independence, environmental concerns, focus on sustainability, etc.," said Jeff Lipton, managing director of investment banking at Jefferies & Co.
More by Chris Maxcer
Clicker Cuts Through Web Video Chaos November 23, 2009
Clicker is a new Web site that makes it easier to find the full-length, broadcast-quality TV shows and movies available around the Web via streaming. The interface is clean and easy to use, and if you sign up for a free account, you'll be able to make playlists of shows you'd like to follow. Most of Clicker's shortcomings are really due to the byzantine rights arrangements surrounding online show distribution.
The Gphone That Could Catch My Eye November 20, 2009
Rumors are cropping up that Google is preparing to sell its own Gphone -- an Android handset using Google-branded hardware. There are some reasons to doubt it will happen, of course, but the possibility is intriguing. What would Google have to build to make something worthy of an iPhone fan's attention?
Apple's House Rules Won't Be the Death of App Development November 13, 2009
Facebook's iPhone app is one of the most popular wares the App Store has ever carried. But its developer, Joe Hewitt, says he's through with it, stating that Apple's review policies are starting a bad precedent for other platforms. However, good apps from talented developers will always find platforms, and Apple's policies won't prevent that from happening. They may even help.
Headline Feeds
Talkback: 
