car environmental news, 4/1/09

Calif. stations face deadline for new gas pumps, via Business Week

 

Service station owners throughout California face a Wednesday deadline to install gasoline pumps that reduce air pollution, a costly development that prompted a trade association to warn that thousands of stations might close.

Those fears now appear overblown. Thousands of gas stations have already complied, and those that have not are expected to be given additional time.

Lawmakers also are considering emergency legislation that would provide grant money to help ease the financial pain of a retrofit that can cost $11,000 per pump.

Obama to Automakers: Make Greener American Cars or Go Under, via TreeHugger

Yesterday, big news broke that Obama denied Chrysler and GM further bailout funds. Both had submitted plans detailing how they’d use the funding to get their companies back on track. Both were deemed ‘not viable’. How did they fail to make the grade? One reason was neither planned on going green enough–after rejecting both plans, the Obama administration laid out a “Path to Viability” for both companies. Common to both? Putting more effort and resources towards developing and selling fuel efficient vehicles. Yes, Obama’s bailout refusal should lead to greener American cars.

 

 

they have me so confused

It seems that for every handful of bad deeds performed by the EPA, they counter with one good deed. I feel like I am in a bad relationship where I stick around through all the terrible, because the good is just oh-so-good.

This posts “Top Ten” list is of a different nature and comes from the EPA. They have created their version of the FBI Most Wanted list, by posting pictures and data on the men with the most heinous environmental crimes.

A top EPA enforcement official said the people on the list represent the “brazen universe of people that are evading the law.” Many face years in prison and some charges could result in hundreds of thousands of dollars in fines.

“They are charged with environmental crimes, and they should be brought before the criminal justice system and have their day in court,” said Pete Rosenberg, a director in the agency’s criminal enforcement division.

The list includes men like John Karayinnades who dumped oil contaminated grain off the coast of Florida or Joseph O’Connor who dumped pollutants off the coast of San Diego.

But my one question for the EPA is: where are the CEO’s of Ford or GM for polluting the air with high emissions SUV’s sold by the millions? Or, the United States Navy for their illegal practice of dumping trash off the air craft carriers, polluting our oceans? Or, our current President George W. Bush and Vice President Dick Cheney for allowing ruling after ruling, in favor of the planet, to be vetoed or overturn at the behest and benefit of a power company, pharmaceutical company, chemical company or the like?

And while I think the list is important, and does include people that need to be charged with crimes, I think their crimes pale in comparison to the onslaught against the environment that other men have committed. However, I am also aware that the nature of our country is that the men missing are the men we reward… with $15 million.

You can find the EPA list, here: http://www.epa.gov/fugitives/

i was going to support you

For the last few days, I thought bailing the auto industry out wasn’t such a bad idea. First, if we can give $900 Billion in a bailout to Wall Street, I thought for sure we could give $25 Billion to the car manufacturers.

My one rule: green up the industry.

Well, my support just went away. It seems that EACH of the three CEO’s made the decision to use their own private jets to get to Washington. How can I expect this group of people to support a green movement? HA! Aside from the fact that they could have made some efforts to trim back their personal budgets prior to see if that would be beneficial in filling their bank accounts…but to beg the American public for money when they show up clearly announcing that they have more than enough, is vulgarity at its best!

Sherman asked the CEOs if they were willing to sell their jets on Wednesday and fly back to Detroit on a commercial flight. “Let the record show no hands went up,” Sherman said.

But in all seriousness does this surprise you? Why would you think that a member of this American “corportacracy” would for a second think of someone other them him or herself?

I think the fortunate thing about this is that they were exposed before we were duped. Too bad that didn’t happen before we gave away $900 Billion.

You can find an article about it HERE, via Reuters.

vroom, vroom

When many of us think about what we can do about climate change, we go to obvious: lightbulbs, recycle, bring a bag, short shower. We demand of our government to invest in clean energy and protect lands.

However, in light of the rumblings of a auto industry bailout, I think an article from The Economist, is an important read: A Survey of Cars in Emerging Markets

We forget that with a growing population comes a growing demand for goods and the infrastructure to match. So what is going to happen when more people want more cars?

…the IMF have calculated that the number of cars worldwide will grow from 600m in 2005 to 2.9 billion in 2050. By 2030, they believe, China’s car fleet will have overtaken America’s (which itself will have increased by 60%), and by 2050 China will have almost as many cars as the entire world has today. India will be catching up fast, with a fleet of 367m, 45 times the number on its congested roads today.

Cars made up an estimated 6.3% of all global emissions in 2000. Eight years later, you know that number is higher and climbing.

This is why it is so important for a green initiative to be built into any auto bailout that either the Bush or Obama Adminstrations would consider. If the estimated car purchase growth becomes reality without a major push to reduce emissions and create fuel efficient, hybrid, or electric cars, we can assume that any net positive effect in other green initiatives will be negated due to autos, alone.

In a way, we should hope for a continued rise in fuel prices, so the desire to own an automobile is lessened.

Read the article, it is very interesting.