| Is the energy bill enough or too little, too late? If it | | | | what is so exciting about getting 35mpg by the |
| were twenty years ago the recent bill passed by | | | | year 2020? The Japanese are far exceeding |
| the U.S Senate would have been applauded for its | | | | these standards now! The technology obviously |
| foresight and innovation. While not getting all that | | | | exists to make immediate impacts on climate |
| they wanted, the bill includes provisions that would | | | | change and U.S. auto makers will find themselves |
| increase fuel mileage to a fleet average of 35mpg | | | | wondering why their sales continue to decline. |
| by 2020; boost ethanol production sevenfold; | | | | Even now we are seeing drastic changes in the |
| prevent oil price gouging; increase appliance and | | | | climate and factors not even considered in the |
| lighting efficiencies; and, provide research into | | | | UN's equations are cropping up. The poles are |
| more energy efficient vehicles. | | | | saturated with CO2, glacial melt is faster and |
| As was expected, the now anti-environment | | | | other unsuspected factors are emerging that |
| Republicans killed a tax on oil companies to help | | | | were not even considered in earlier projections. |
| fund renewable energy as well as a requirement | | | | The web of nature is so complex we do not |
| to force utilities to bur electricity from renewable | | | | understand or account for all of those relationships |
| energy suppliers. It would appear that Republicans | | | | in our modeling and our predictions. Most informed |
| have grown too accustomed to feeding off of | | | | scientists say we have to act now to reduce |
| the oil producers to even think of taking any of | | | | emissions and political leaders are still acting as if |
| their record making profits. And they wonder | | | | we have decades to solve or at least address |
| why they will lose in 2008? | | | | climate change issues. All evidence is to the |
| If this bill passed twenty years ago, assuming the | | | | contrary. |
| President signs it, this would have been hailed as | | | | A recent ABC News story says the following: |
| an environmental milestone. My concern, however, | | | | "Even "moderate additional" greenhouse emissions |
| is that based upon the U.N. global climate change | | | | are likely to push Earth past "critical tipping points" |
| reports, we do not have until 2020 to begin the | | | | with "dangerous consequences for the planet," |
| process of reducing green house gas emissions. If | | | | according to research conducted by NASA and |
| fleet averages just reach 35mpg by 2020 there is | | | | the Columbia University Earth Institute. |
| no expectation that everyone is going to run out | | | | With just 10 more years of "business as usual" |
| and purchase a new vehicle at that time. It will | | | | emissions from the burning of coal, oil and gas, |
| take years past the 2020 date before major | | | | says the NASA/Columbia paper, "it becomes |
| reductions in emissions are felt. That kind of time | | | | impractical" to avoid "disastrous effects." |
| is not on our side. | | | | By heralding the new research paper, NASA is |
| According to the DAILY FUEL ECONOMY TIP the | | | | endorsing science that places considerably more |
| following information relates to fuel economy of | | | | urgency on the need to reduce emissions to |
| several U.S. vs. Japanese auto makers: | | | | avoid "disastrous effects" of global warming than |
| Top 5 Most Fuel Efficient American Cars: | | | | was evident in the recent reports from the |
| 1. Ford Escape Hybrid - 36 mpg city / 31 mpg | | | | world's scientists coordinated by the |
| highway | | | | Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. |
| 2. Chevy Aveo - 26 mpg city / 35 mpg highway | | | | The new NASA release emphasizes the danger |
| 3. Ford Focus - 26 mpg city / 34 mpg highway | | | | of "strong amplifying feedbacks" pushing Earth |
| 4. Chevy Cobalt - 25 mpg city / 34 mpg highway | | | | past "dangerous tipping points." |
| 5. Ford Fusion - 24 mpg city / 32 mpg highway | | | | Regardless of all of the back slapping for this new |
| Top 5 Most Fuel Efficient Japanese Cars: | | | | piece of environmental legislation, the public must |
| 1. Honda Insight - 60 mpg city / 66 mpg highway | | | | come to understand that the called for measures |
| 2. Toyota Prius - 60 mpg city / 51 mpg highway | | | | are too little, too late. We do not have until 2020 |
| 3. Honda Civic Hybrid - 49 mpg city / 51 highway | | | | to start making major changes in the way we |
| 4. Toyota Corolla - 32 mpg city / 41 mpg | | | | live. Our own government agencies are issuing dire |
| highway | | | | warnings but our politicians are off in the ozone |
| 5. Toyota Matrix - 30 mpg city / 36 mpg highway | | | | layer somewhere, assuming there still is one. |
| The obvious question raised from the above is, | | | | |