Obama Administration: Move To Restrict Emissions Can Help Auto Industry
As I noted below, Obama’s big announcement that he’s going to direct federal regulators to take another look at efforts by California and 13 other states to strictly regulate auto emissions and fuel efficiency standards thrusts his Environmental Protection Chief, Lisa Jackson, right into the center of the political action.
Jackson’s first challenge: Navigating charges that the Obama administration, by pushing or stricter standards right now, is irresponsibly putting pressure on the auto industry at a time when it’s already in peril.
Our big WhoRunsGov profile of Jackson was written by Kate Sheppard, a reporter for the enviro-site Grist.org, and I checked in with her for her take. She points out that the Obama administration is sending a very clear message to the auto industry: If you want to pull out of your current doldrums, start making cars that people want.
“The fact that they’re putting in place higher standards sends an even stronger signal about the type of cars they’re going to need to make to be competitive in the American marketplace going forward,” Sheppard emails.
This is going to be a bruising political fight. Republicans will portray the Obama administration as too quick to heap job-killing government regulations on an industry that’s on its death bed. The Obama team will counter that making cars with green friendly features that people want will actually make it easier to, you know, get people to buy them.
At his press briefing today, White House press secretary Robert Gibbs laid out this argument, saying that it’s time the auto giants “create a product that is more appealing to the American people” and to ensure that “manufacturers have something they can produce and sell in this country.”
This reminds me a bit of the great seat belt debate. When efforts to mandate seat belts first got underway eons ago, some critics argued that doing this would damage the industry. Today virtually no one would buy a car without a seat belt in it; the market dictates that it’s easier to sell cars today with seat belts in them. I hope we see this historical precedent alluded to in the battle that’s currently brewing over emissions.
What’s this? Hypocrisy??? The hell you say! These same Republicans who were blaming the auto industry for failing to make cars that people needed and wanted? Who demanded greater accountability from the auto industry than from Wall St.? These same Republicans?
I think if they try and get all righteously indignant about this, the White House is going to hit them over the head with their reaction to the proposed auto bailout.
I’m starting to wonder if there are other poker or chess players in the Obama administration.
yes, that’s definitely a big stick, no question…
I think the seatbelt argument just sums this up perfectly. And another thing, does an industry that is begging for our tax dollars have any right to resist putting measures in place to make our lives healthier and better?
phil, that’s a pretty solid point. I’ve gotta assume that this will be part of the pushback too.
The argument that by requiring vehicles in some states to be somewhat cleaner than the existing national standard will somehow boost the sales rate is laughable. The best ad agency in the world will never convince any significant number of people to buy one vehicle over another just because it is slightly “cleaner” than another. Emission control capability at the levels being proposed is not a differentiator between vehicles as to desireability. The Obama team says it wants to “ask the right questions” when it comes to regulating. In this case I think they have already failed, and I so want them to succeed.
but Jake, isn’t it true that more and more people are factoring in the vehicles’ environmental friendliness as they decide whether or not to buy?
Gee, maybe with huge markets like California and the Northeast requiring the higher emissions restrictions, the Big Three (or whatever remains of the US automakers) will sell autos which meet those requirements like, oh, everywhere?
Or maybe Congress could require that…and save them the agony of deciding….
Oh, and it will apply to all autos sold here, even the Tatas if they ever makes it here.
(Now I’ll find out if embedding URLs works….)
Heh–embedding works. Too bad my proofreading doesn’t. Edit function is quite handy, WaPo, please.
isn’t it true that more and more people are factoring in the vehicles’ environmental friendliness as they decide whether or not to buy?
Posted by: Greg Sargent | January 26th, 2009 at 03:43 pm
Fuel efficiency above the national standard in 14 states isn’t going to boost sales rates. If you’re going to do that for 14, might as well make it applicable to all 50 states. Today was just another piece of low hanging fruit for Obama to pick.
JD Powers examines the reasons consumers fail to consider particular models when shopping for new cars. In 2008, new car buyers were avoiding specific models due to price or gas mileage:
“The 2008 study finds that 23 percent of new-vehicle buyers cite price as a reason they avoided a certain model during the shopping process. Gas mileage is also becoming a more important factor, both in vehicle buyers’ avoidance of some models and selection of other models. Poor gas mileage as a reason for avoidance has increased dramatically in the past four years, climbing to 13 percent in 2008 from 7 percent in 2004.[...]
The study also finds that even as gas mileage has become increasingly important to new-vehicle buyers, only 4 percent of buyers cite environmental concerns as a reason for avoidance, compared with 5 percent in 2007.”
http://www.jdpower.com/corporate/news/releases/pressrelease.aspx?ID=2008254
So in answer to your question, no, it’s not as many people as you think.
Gas mileage is important, but so are power plants. To call electric cars no emission is disengenuous, if their power comes from a coal plant. I live in the Northeast, and we are polluted by plants throughout the midwest. Maybe someone can make coal clean at some point, but it isnt happening now, and we need protection.
COAL FIRED ELECTRICAL GENERATION PLANTS GREEN HOUSE GASES
THE ABSTRACT COLLATES AND ABSORBS THE MULTIPLE FIELDS OF ENVIRONMENTAL RISKS AND MANAGEMENT WITH SAFETY—-REGULATION AND CONTROL WITH MULTI FACETED DISCIPLINES OF ENGINEERING USING PROVEN COMMODITY EQUIPMENT, DESIGN AND ENGINEERING.
RESULTING IN THE MOST TIMELY, WITH LESS COST—- EFFICIENT COLLECTION TRANSMISSION AND SAFE DISPOSAL OF GREEN HOUSE GASES EMITTED BY COAL FIRED ELECTRICAL GENERATION PLANTS IN THE USA.
ABSTRACT
In Cyril and Cushing OK most major pipelines meet. In Cement OK there are numerous oil and gas formations that could be used as injection of the carbon gases emitted. Cement is just north of Cyril. Most of those formations in and around Cement are commingled with other formations because of the uplift of the Wichita Mountains. Thus making that area ideal for the disposal of the green house gasses. But just south and east of Cyril is the Fletcher Field where there are numerous abandoned deep wells that have zones permeable to accept the green house gases. The generation plants could capture the gases emitted move them through a pipeline via a transmission company then on to Cyril OK. Cyril has the land and people needed to install manage and maintain pump stations to move the gases into the numerous areas for disposal, and to monitor the effects of the pumped gasses.
The uniqueness and synergy of this ABSTRACT is three fold
#1 OKLAHOMA has the right kind of oil and gas formations to inject carbon gases.
#2 Cyril and Cushing are the hubs for gas lines in America.
#3 OKLAHOMA has the service, sales and engineering companies to build, maintain and manage.
Abstract created by Dwight E. Baker ã 2008
Notes
COAL FIRED ELECTRICAL GENERATION PLANTS GREEN HOUSE GASES
By Dwight Baker
A grave danger of excess is brewing in political commerce, banking and trade circles that many if not most have not come to recognize. And if we as a nation of those NOT skilled in the tasks of study will continue to be falsely led —- then we as a nation will drown in false hopes and promises that are not sound and are not right for our generation or those to soon follow us our posterity.
FACTS NOT FICTION
1. Carbon gases can be pumped into oil and gas formations and be safely held forever.
2. Most of the energy used to do so is electrical.
3. Most of the hardware needed is off the shelf and is readily available.
4. No new technology is needed to be proved to do so.
5. Pipelines are in place now to efficiently pump the carbon gases.
VAST RETOOLING OF AMERCIA is not POSSIBLE at this time
1. Wind wave sun and other energy sources can only produce a mere less than 10% of our needs when fully functional.
2. And to do so at this time will cost vast amounts of money that at this time is in short supply.
3. Nuclear energy is a good source to fall back on but it takes a long time to manufacture then build.
4. And the cost to dismantle and discard Coal Fired electrical Generator plants to switch over to nuclear plants is again at this time not feasible.
OUR COMMUNED INTELLECUTAL LEANING OF TAKING CARE OF THE COAL PROBLEM RESIDES IN INJECITING THOSE GASES BACK INTO CARBON BASED GEOLOGICAL FORMATIONS.
1. The present owners of Coal Fired Electrical Generator plants have vast investments and are in place now and doing a job keeping up with the demands.
2. The only cure to save our air and environment is for them to fork out the cash now to capture the gases scrub to reduce the amount of the abrasives out, then pump the remainder of the carbon gases to near by pipelines to be forwarded to the destinations for injecting back into carbon based formations to be held securely captive.
3. In WORLD WAR II oil was needed on the East Coast of America and in record time of about one year pipelines were laid from the East Texas oil fields to that area.
SUMMARY
We do not have the money or time to lean on think tanks and others who propose to study this problem for us for profit. What we have at hand is not rocket science nor is it a matter that NASA or the likes can cure for us. The cure is not a 60 second flash in the pan — it is sound sane and doable. But like most things today someone at the top of the heap politically must be the PRIME MOVER.
Tolle Internetseite mit vielen hilfreichen Beitr
Nice One!
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