Author Topic: Obama orders new green rules  (Read 425 times)

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Offline mystery-ak

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Obama orders new green rules
« on: February 18, 2014, 07:38:37 pm »
http://thehill.com/blogs/e2-wire/e2-wire/198592-obama-orders-new-green-standards-for-trucks

February 18, 2014, 12:41 pm
Obama orders new green rules

By Justin Sink


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YymvUhE0Oh8

President Obama on Tuesday announced he was ordering his administration to develop a set of new fuel efficiency standards for trucks, buses and other heavy-duty vehicles.

Obama did not detail specific targets for heavy-duty vehicles, but said he expected a draft proposal by March of next year and for the rule to be implemented by 2016.

While heavy-duty trucks and buses represent just 4 percent of the vehicles on the road, they generate 20 percent of the nation’s vehicular carbon pollution.

“We want trucks that use less oil, save more money, and cut pollution,” Obama said at a press event held at a Safeway distribution center in suburban Maryland, which he heralded as a leader in the bid to improve fuel economy.

The grocery chain is part of a public-private coalition designed to improve fuel efficiency through redesigning vehicles, and uses trucks with advanced aerodynamics, efficient tires and larger trailers.

Obama said the environmental “super trucks” were “a win-win-win” because they reduce carbon pollution, cut down on businesses’ fuel costs and reduce prices for consumers. He also applauded the willingness of corporate rivals to work together toward fuel efficiency standards.

“If rivals like Pepsico and Coca-Cola, or FedEx and UPS, or AT&T and Verizon can join together on this, maybe Democrats and Republicans can do the same,” Obama said.

The president also said the government would offer new tax credits to truck and energy companies to encourage the manufacture of more efficient vehicles and alternative fuel networks.

Obama vowed the eventual regulations would be “ambitious.”

“These are areas where ambition has worked out really well for us so far. Don't make small plans, make big plans,” Obama said.

Obama also vocally defended his prior work on fuel efficiency standards, arguing doomsday predictions about how the auto industry would react to new regulations had not been borne out. In Obama's first term, the administration completed fuel standards requiring a 20 percent reduction in heavy-vehicle emissions by 2018, as well as a 35.5 miles per gallon average on regular automobiles.

“Every time somebody says you can't grow the economy while bringing down pollution, it's turned out they've been wrong,” Obama said.

Obama's push comes amid a broader White House push to address climate change issues. On Friday, Obama announced he would propose a $1 billion climate resiliency fund in his next budget, designed to help communities suffering from extreme weather.

It also comes amid a broader effort by the president to use administrative action to move his policy agenda.

“Whenever I can act on my own to expand opportunity for more Americans and help build our middle class, I'm going to do that,” the president said. 
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Offline Fishrrman

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Re: Obama orders new green rules
« Reply #1 on: February 19, 2014, 01:49:46 am »
[[ President Obama on Tuesday announced he was ordering his administration to develop a set of new fuel efficiency standards for trucks, buses and other heavy-duty vehicles. ]]

Never mind physics and the laws of thermal efficiency.

We'll dictate the new natural laws, thank you very much.

Offline EC

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Re: Obama orders new green rules
« Reply #2 on: February 19, 2014, 02:10:51 pm »
Um - Fleets will be buying European trucks then?
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Offline Chieftain

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Re: Obama orders new green rules
« Reply #3 on: February 19, 2014, 03:09:11 pm »
Um - Fleets will be buying European trucks then?

I'm not certain EU built trucks meet all US requirements for those kinds of vehicles.

The point to remember here, is that Obama is tasking his EPA and Transportation Secretaries to come up with standards for which neither has any experience or competence in whatsoever.  The former Mayor of Charlotte and the former Connecticut EPA Director??  Exactly what qualifies either one of them to specify standards for anything much less heavy trucks??

The fact is that the Industry has been improving over the road truck fuel economy because of the financial pressures of the industry, and does not need the government to impose standards on them that are simply not attainable in any cost effective form whatsoever, or the industry would have already come up with it.

Another fact is that diesel powered vehicles like heavy trucks and locomotives are the life blood of the entire transport system in the United States, and Big Government meddling in it is every bit as bad if not worse than the government meddling in the health care markets.  Virtually every single customer commodity from toothpaste to television sets moves on diesel powered vehicles more efficiently than any other type of power we have ever come up with it.  We let government tamper with it at our extreme peril.



Offline EC

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Re: Obama orders new green rules
« Reply #4 on: February 19, 2014, 03:21:00 pm »
They certainly meet the very stringent emissions standards we have over here, though possibly not the fuel economy standards being imposed. And, as you say, it was done by market forces, not Executive fiat. You have emission bands here - your vehicle is tested for it's emissions and taxed accordingly. Different sized engines have different permissible maximums - if your vehicle is well below, you get a cut price Road Tax. Fuel is horrendously expensive as well, so there is a push for the most efficient engines possible.

The research is all there, it would depend on it being licensed to domestic producers. Of course, the biggest problem as far as fuel efficency and emissions standards go in the USA is you are such a damn big country! Everything needs hauling somewhere.
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