Chemically Green
California Not Green With Envy From Global Warming Scores
California residents have been going green, but with this new mandatory requirement for global warming scores on all new vehicles starting in 2009, California residents may soon be seeing red!
From GreenBiz.com:
OAKLAND, Calif. — California is making it mandatory for cars to be labeled with global warming scores, figures that take into account emissions from vehicle use and fuel production. Fuel production, what does that mean? California is going green, but with this requirement on all new cars, The law requiring the labels goes into effect at the start of next year for all 2009 model cars, though its expected the labels will be popping up on cars in the coming months.
The labeling law forces cars for sale to display a global warming score, on a scale of one to 10, which is based on how vehicles in the same model year compare to one another. The higher the score, the cleaner a car is. The score takes into account emissions related to production of fuel for each vehicle as well as the direct emissions from vehicles.
The California Air Resources Board said Thursday the window sticker will give consumers the information they need to choose a cleaner-burning car or light truck.
The score will be displayed next to the already-required smog score, which also rates cars from 1-10 for how many smog-forming emissions they emit. For both scores, an average vehicle will have a score of five. What does this mean? The whole law seems so vague. Well, California, get ready to pay some more.
Approved earlier by California lawmakers and supported by Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, the regulation was signed into law this week by California Secretary of State Debra Bowen.
The data for the scores is being provided by auto companies to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
“The environmental performance label will provide two scores on a scale of 1-10, a Smog Score and a Global Warming Score,” the board stated. “The average new car will score five on both scales. The higher the score the less impact the car has on the environment.”
What will happen to used cars? Sounds like only new cars are covered, so save money and buy a used car.
California Air Resources Board
California is the first state to pass such a law, and a similar law will take effect in New York for 2010 model year vehicles. Check out California’s Drive Clean website for more information on this new requirement for new cars starting in 2009.
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Bureau of Land Management Lifts Ban on New Solar Power Plants
If you want to get heard in Washington, all you have to do is get enough people to stand up and make a lot of noise on a major issue, and something is going to happen! Case in point: The BLM, the Bureau of Land Management, placed a moratorium just a few days ago for 2 years on any new solar plant startups.
For some background info see our recent post: Coal and Oil are Making Us Sick.
Well, the moratorium was dropped today by the BLM. A salute to all the bloggers who posted on the moratorium and the public outcry that was made for dropping the 2 year moratorium. Check out these two articles:
Government lifts solar project ban on public lands
From the article: Companies planning to build huge solar power plants in the desert will be able to file new applications to use federal lands after the Bureau of Land Management reversed its position on the issue Tuesday. The BLM had imposed a two-year moratorium on new land claims…
WASHINGTON—The government said Wednesday it is calling off a recently announced moratorium on applications to build solar plants on public lands. The Bureau of Land Management made the announcement after public opposition to its original decision, reached at the end of May.
“Coal and Oil are Making Us Sick”, says Senator Harry Reid
Coal and oil makes us sick? Check out Senator Harry Reid on YouTube.
Senator Reid, we hear the talk, but where is the action? Harry Reid, the Senate majority leader heads the “do nothing Congress.”
Senator Reid, why do you give an interview to talk about the U.S. getting off coal and oil and start using renewable energy (Solar), when Congress puts a halt to solar plants for 2 years?
From the New York Times: Faced with a surge in the number of proposed solar power plants, the federal government has placed a moratorium on new solar projects on public land until it studies their environmental impact, which is expected to take about two years.
But the decision to freeze new solar proposals temporarily, reached late last month, has caused widespread concern in the alternative-energy industry. Fledgling solar companies must wait to see if they can realize their hopes of harnessing power from swaths of sun-baked public land, just as the demand for viable alternative energy is accelerating.
“It doesn’t make any sense,” said Holly Gordon, vice president for legislative and regulatory affairs for Ausra, a solar thermal energy company in Palo Alto, Calif. “The Bureau of Land Management land has some of the best solar resources in the world. This could completely stunt the growth of the industry.”
Much of the 119 million surface acres of federally administered land in the West is ideal for solar energy, particularly in Arizona, Nevada and Southern California, where sunlight drenches vast, flat desert tracts.
Did the oil cartel get to Mr. Reid and the “do nothing Congress”or was it something about Mr. Reid and the solar lobby from his state of Nevada?
“Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it’s the only thing that ever has.” - Margaret Mead
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