http://www.nrdc.org/media/pressreleases/040806.asp

California Zooms Toward Finish Line for Global Warming Standard

Statement by Roland Hwang, NRDC Vehicles Policy Director

SAN FRANCISCO (August 6, 2004) - The California Air Resources Board
(CARB) today released its final staff proposal for the nation's first
ever regulation to reduce global warming pollution from cars. It calls
for tailpipe emissions of carbon dioxide and other pollutants to be
reduced by approximately 30 percent by 2016. CARB is scheduled to
adopt final standards at a hearing on September 23. A 2002 bill (AB
1493, Pavley) requires it to adopt standards by the end of this year.

The law still enjoys enormous popular support in California. Just last
month, the nonpartisan Public Policy Institute of California released
a statewide survey, showing that 81 percent of Californians support
the global warming law. The same survey found that 77 percent of SUV
owners favor requiring automakers to reduce global warming pollution.
This is in spite of a vigorous, expensive and ultimately unsuccessful
campaign of misinformation and scare tactics by automakers to kill the
bill in 2002.

Following is a statement by Roland Hwang, vehicles policy director at
NRDC (Natural Resources Defense Council).

"The proposal is a sensible, feasible requirement for automakers to
build cleaner, better cars. These new standards are the key to
accelerating the drive to put the latest pollution reduction
technologies in California's fleet of cars. Not only will it spur new
innovation, it is also consistent with the overwhelming public support
by Californians for cutting global warming pollution from cars.

"California has been leading the nation and the world in clean vehicle
technology standards for over 40 years, and as a result, we have
cleaner air and a stronger economy. Time and time again Californians
have rejected the same old 'it can't be done' arguments from the Big
Three. Any automaker that tries to convince Californians that they
can't have cleaner cars runs a big risk of alienating customers in the
world's most valuable car market.

"CARB and industry analyses confirm there are technologies available
right now to make less-polluting vehicles, including SUVs and pickups.
Many of these technologies -- such as variable valve timing and lift,
cylinder deactivation, and continuously variable transmission --
already are entering the nation's auto fleet and offer the additional
benefit of saving consumers money at the gas pump. In fact, automakers
can't keep up with the demand for the cleanest, most advanced cars,
the hybrids."

Psalm 110 wrote in message . ..
http://www.nrdc.org/media/pressreleases/040806.asp

California Zooms Toward Finish Line for Global Warming Standard

Statement by Roland Hwang, NRDC Vehicles Policy Director

SAN FRANCISCO (August 6, 2004) - The California Air Resources Board
(CARB) today released its final staff proposal for the nation's first
ever regulation to reduce global warming pollution from cars. It calls
for tailpipe emissions of carbon dioxide and other pollutants to be
reduced by approximately 30 percent by 2016. CARB is scheduled to
adopt final standards at a hearing on September 23. A 2002 bill (AB
1493, Pavley) requires it to adopt standards by the end of this year.

...

Has anyone read the bill or the final proposal? I basically support
the objectives of AB 1493, but CARB's proposed implementation doesn't
seem to me to be the most sensible approach. The proposed standard
comprises two CO2 emission limits, a limit of 205 g/mi for vehicles
weighing 3750 lbs or less, and a much less stringent limit of 332 g/mi
for heavier vehicles over 3750 lbs. This type of bilevel standard
creates all kinds of problems. For example, it creates a strong
incentive to increase some vehicle weights so that they are subject to
the less stringent heavyweight standard.

CARB is accepting public comments on the proposal until the Sept 23
hearing. For information on the bill, the proposed regulation, and how
to submit comments, see http://www.arb.ca.gov/cc/cc.htm. I've posted
my commentary/analysis outlining deficiencies of the proposal, and
suggesting an alternative approach, at
http://kjinnovation.com/Climate_Policy.html.

Ken Johnson

Just how is California going to control it's atmosphere separately from the
rest of the world? Do they intend to put the entire state under a glass
dome?

Keep in mind you are talking about a state government that has had more
legislative screw-ups than ten other states together. Right now they can't
even solve the very simple problem of reducing a significant and chronic
state budget deficit!

But they are going to control the state's atmosphere?

WDA

end

"Ken" wrote in message
om...
Psalm 110 wrote in message
. ..
http://www.nrdc.org/media/pressreleases/040806.asp

California Zooms Toward Finish Line for Global Warming Standard

Statement by Roland Hwang, NRDC Vehicles Policy Director

SAN FRANCISCO (August 6, 2004) - The California Air Resources Board
(CARB) today released its final staff proposal for the nation's first
ever regulation to reduce global warming pollution from cars. It calls
for tailpipe emissions of carbon dioxide and other pollutants to be
reduced by approximately 30 percent by 2016. CARB is scheduled to
adopt final standards at a hearing on September 23. A 2002 bill (AB
1493, Pavley) requires it to adopt standards by the end of this year.

...

Has anyone read the bill or the final proposal? I basically support
the objectives of AB 1493, but CARB's proposed implementation doesn't
seem to me to be the most sensible approach. The proposed standard
comprises two CO2 emission limits, a limit of 205 g/mi for vehicles
weighing 3750 lbs or less, and a much less stringent limit of 332 g/mi
for heavier vehicles over 3750 lbs. This type of bilevel standard
creates all kinds of problems. For example, it creates a strong
incentive to increase some vehicle weights so that they are subject to
the less stringent heavyweight standard.

CARB is accepting public comments on the proposal until the Sept 23
hearing. For information on the bill, the proposed regulation, and how
to submit comments, see http://www.arb.ca.gov/cc/cc.htm. I've posted
my commentary/analysis outlining deficiencies of the proposal, and
suggesting an alternative approach, at
http://kjinnovation.com/Climate_Policy.html.

Ken Johnson

"W. D. Allen Sr." wrote in message ...
Just how is California going to control it's atmosphere separately from the
rest of the world? Do they intend to put the entire state under a glass
dome?

...

See section 8.3 of the CARB report http://www.arb.ca.gov/regact/grnhsgas/isor.pdf.

"Ken" wrote in message
om...
Psalm 110 wrote in message
. ..

A 2002 bill (AB 1493, Pavley) requires it to
adopt standards by the end of this year.

Has anyone read the bill or the final proposal?



http://www.leginfo.ca.gov/pub/01-02/...chaptered.html

AB 1493, Pavley. Vehicular emissions: greenhouse gases.
....
(2) Existing law requires the state board to endeavor to
achieve the maximum degree of emission reductions possible from
vehicular and other mobile sources in order to accomplish the
attainment of the state standards at the earliest practicable
date.

This bill would require the state board to develop and adopt,
by January 1, 2005, regulations that achieve the maximum feasible
reduction of greenhouse gases emitted by passenger vehicles and
light-duty trucks and any other vehicles determined by the state
board to be vehicles whose primary use is noncommercial personal
transportation in the state. The bill would prohibit those
regulations from taking effect prior to January 1, 2006, in order
to give the Legislature time to review the regulations and
determine whether further legislation should be enacted prior to
the effective date of the regulations. Under the bill, the
regulations would apply only to a motor vehicle manufactured in
the 2009 model year, or any model year thereafter.

The bill would require the regulations to provide flexibility,
to the maximum extent feasible, in the means by which a person may
comply with those regulations, including, but not limited to,
authorization for a person to use alternative methods of
compliance with the regulations. The bill would prohibit the
state board from imposing a mandatory trip reduction measure or
land use restriction in providing that compliance flexibility.
The bill would prohibit the state board, in adopting the
regulations, from requiring the imposition of additional fees and
taxes on any motor vehicle, fuel, or vehicle miles traveled; a ban
on the sale of any vehicle category, a reduction in vehicle
weight; a limitation on, or reduction of, the speed limit on any
street or highway in the state; or a limitation on, or reduction
of, vehicle miles traveled. The bill would declare that the
provisions of the bill prohibiting the state board from imposing
additional fees or taxes on any motor vehicle, fuel, or vehicle
miles traveled, or to limit or reduce the speed limit on any
street or highway in the state to be declaratory of existing law.
The bill would require the state board to ensure that any
alternative methods of compliance achieve equivalent or greater
reductions in emissions of greenhouse gases as the regulations.
The bill would also require the state board to conduct public
workshops regarding the regulations in specified communities with
the most significant exposure to air contaminants. The bill would
also require the state board to grant emission reduction credits
for reductions of greenhouse gas emissions achieved prior to the
operative date of the regulations, utilizing the 2000 model year
as the baseline for calculating those reductions. The bill would
require the state board to include an exemption in those
regulations for vehicles subject to specified exhaust emission
standards. The bill would authorize the state board to elect not
to adopt a standard for a greenhouse gas, if the state board
determines that the federal government has adopted a standard
regulating that greenhouse gas, and the state board makes
specified findings related to the similarity of the federal
standard.

The bill would also require the state board, by January 1,
2005, to provide a report to the Legislature on the contents of
those regulations.