The pending Congressional legislation known as the "Energy Bill" does a lot of important things. One of the most important is to increase CAFE standards, corporate average fuel economy standards.
In a nutshell the bill would increase mile per gallon standards required by car producers, from 27.7 currently, to about 35 mpg by 2020. Incidentally, in Europe, cars on average get 40 mpg, compared with 20.4 mpg for U.S. cars. So all we are attempting to do is not even reach the European level of fuel efficiency within the next 12 years . . . not that ambitious.
However, it is apparently too ambitious for some. The bill is currently being debated in congress, with amendments being proposed by Senators Pryor, Bond and Levin that would potentially weaken the, already modest, CAFE standards in the bill. Disgracefully, two of those CAFE weakening Senators are Democrats! The notion that economic interests trump environmental, health, and national security concerns is apparently a bi-partisan position.
When it comes to CAFE standards, the unwillingness on the part of the public and politicians to make even the most conservative sacrifices for the common good is disheartening, at best. A crude cost-benefit analysis on increasing CAFE standards is revealing.
Lets assume the predictions regarding global warming are true, or even that there is a 10% chance that they are true. To sum up those predictions, the environmental costs are enormous! On the one hand we have total global devastation.
What could we do to dramatically reduce the likelihood of global devastation? Simply drive certain cars that are no less capable, safe or comfortable. Doing so would not only reduce our greenhouse gas emissions, but also reduce our dependency on foreign sources of oil, reduce transportation costs and improve air quality. What more motivation do we need to improve CAFE standards????
UPDATE!!
The bill passed the Senate last night, without amendments. The CAFE standards would increase to 35 mpg, which although modest, is a victory nonetheless. The bill goes to the House next week and is ecpected to pass in its current form!
2 comments:
Philasurfer,
This is a particularly brazen and disgusting display of as you say "politics over policy." I am most ashamed of Senatory Levin who is from Michigan and of course has those automakers to please, but how can we propose to be serious about global climate change and do something like this. It is infuriating...and why are not people like Hillary, Barack and Edwards making a stink. Ugggghhh!!
I didn't see the update...maybe we should put it up front...
Post a Comment