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by Matt Petersen
10/01/2007
China recently announced it has drafted fuel efficiency standards for vehicles of all classes that would surpass those in the U.S.
The announcement got the attention of automakers, environmentalists, and news editors. Newspapers as disparate as the Indianapolis Star and the New York Times opined on the news from China, calling for increased fuel efficiency for cars in the U.S., and for good reason. Given the size of China’s population and its growing appetite for vehicles, China is projected to soon be the world’s third largest market for vehicles, behind the U.S. and Japan.
If implemented as drafted, the Chinese standards would be an important step forward for advanced vehicles, public health, clean air, and combating climate change. It would also promote energy independence for China.
Yet there was another reason why the word of draft standards from Beijing was particularly poignant. At the same time as this announcement sprang from China, the U.S. Congress was debating an energy bill that not only would give tax breaks of up to $100,000 for purchasers of Hummers and other large SUVs, but fail to increase U.S. vehicle fuel efficiency standards. (This, [the principle] in a nutshell, is what is holding back the Health Reform Bill. Too many people will lose big money)
Fortunately, the dirty energy bill was defeated with a bi-partisan coalition upset by the excessive pork in the bill, including other tax breaks for the nuclear and coal industries.
Is there a chance that Detroit, the U.S. Congress, or the Bush Administration might be inspired by China’s indication of leadership on this issue? Detroit continues to delay hybrids and Washington drags its feet, so it seems unlikely in the short-term. Meanwhile, state and local governments – led by California – continue to help move away from gas guzzling SUVs and toward cleaner vehicles.
Recent legislation passed in California prohibits the purchase of SUVs for the state fleet, except where there is a demonstrated public safety need. Despite driving a Hummer, Gov. Schwarzenegger recently vowed to protect California’s groundbreaking greenhouse gas emissions bill, which regulates tailpipe emissions, against attacks in court from the federal government and automakers.
Consumers are also beginning to vote with their feet. Several months ago, Toyota introduced the 2004 Prius and has since had to increase production to keep up with consumer demand. At local dealerships in Los Angeles, dealers had waiting lists of hundreds of people all waiting to get the car, sight unseen.
Why? Celebrities such as Leonardo DiCaprio and Cameron Diaz drive their Prius around L.A., generating a great deal of attention for the hybrid car. Diaz, Harrison Ford, and other stars went to the Oscars last March in a hybrid car as part of a Global Green USA campaign, eschewing limos to demonstrate their commitment to fuel-efficiency and the need to reduce U.S. dependency on foreign oil.
But it is not just celebrity cache that has made the 2004 Prius such a sought-after vehicle. Most importantly, the Prius, along with the Honda Civic Hybrid, uses advanced engineering – direct benefits from California’s Zero Emission Vehicle regulation – to achieve extremely low emissions and get great gas mileage, which is extremely important at a time when prices at the pump are still high.
The bottom line: The Toyota Prius and Honda Civic Hybrid prove that we can increase U.S. vehicle fuel efficiency, maintain vehicle safety, and combat global warming through the use of incentives and smart technology. But will we allow China to beat us to the punch?
Matt Petersen is president of Global Green USA (www.globalgreen.org). He encourages readers to take the “Pledge of Allegiance to American Energy Independence (www.globalgreen.org/pledge).”
10/01/2007
China recently announced it has drafted fuel efficiency standards for vehicles of all classes that would surpass those in the U.S.
The announcement got the attention of automakers, environmentalists, and news editors. Newspapers as disparate as the Indianapolis Star and the New York Times opined on the news from China, calling for increased fuel efficiency for cars in the U.S., and for good reason. Given the size of China’s population and its growing appetite for vehicles, China is projected to soon be the world’s third largest market for vehicles, behind the U.S. and Japan.
If implemented as drafted, the Chinese standards would be an important step forward for advanced vehicles, public health, clean air, and combating climate change. It would also promote energy independence for China.
Yet there was another reason why the word of draft standards from Beijing was particularly poignant. At the same time as this announcement sprang from China, the U.S. Congress was debating an energy bill that not only would give tax breaks of up to $100,000 for purchasers of Hummers and other large SUVs, but fail to increase U.S. vehicle fuel efficiency standards. (This, [the principle] in a nutshell, is what is holding back the Health Reform Bill. Too many people will lose big money)
Fortunately, the dirty energy bill was defeated with a bi-partisan coalition upset by the excessive pork in the bill, including other tax breaks for the nuclear and coal industries.
Is there a chance that Detroit, the U.S. Congress, or the Bush Administration might be inspired by China’s indication of leadership on this issue? Detroit continues to delay hybrids and Washington drags its feet, so it seems unlikely in the short-term. Meanwhile, state and local governments – led by California – continue to help move away from gas guzzling SUVs and toward cleaner vehicles.
Recent legislation passed in California prohibits the purchase of SUVs for the state fleet, except where there is a demonstrated public safety need. Despite driving a Hummer, Gov. Schwarzenegger recently vowed to protect California’s groundbreaking greenhouse gas emissions bill, which regulates tailpipe emissions, against attacks in court from the federal government and automakers.
Consumers are also beginning to vote with their feet. Several months ago, Toyota introduced the 2004 Prius and has since had to increase production to keep up with consumer demand. At local dealerships in Los Angeles, dealers had waiting lists of hundreds of people all waiting to get the car, sight unseen.
Why? Celebrities such as Leonardo DiCaprio and Cameron Diaz drive their Prius around L.A., generating a great deal of attention for the hybrid car. Diaz, Harrison Ford, and other stars went to the Oscars last March in a hybrid car as part of a Global Green USA campaign, eschewing limos to demonstrate their commitment to fuel-efficiency and the need to reduce U.S. dependency on foreign oil.
But it is not just celebrity cache that has made the 2004 Prius such a sought-after vehicle. Most importantly, the Prius, along with the Honda Civic Hybrid, uses advanced engineering – direct benefits from California’s Zero Emission Vehicle regulation – to achieve extremely low emissions and get great gas mileage, which is extremely important at a time when prices at the pump are still high.
The bottom line: The Toyota Prius and Honda Civic Hybrid prove that we can increase U.S. vehicle fuel efficiency, maintain vehicle safety, and combat global warming through the use of incentives and smart technology. But will we allow China to beat us to the punch?
Matt Petersen is president of Global Green USA (www.globalgreen.org). He encourages readers to take the “Pledge of Allegiance to American Energy Independence (www.globalgreen.org/pledge).”
Paul Marin -19 is one thing, 20 is a whole other matter. It gets even worse if they win the UCL. *groan*. 
05/18/2011.MU fans naah cough, but all a unuh a vomit?-Lazie 1/11/2015
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