Transportation | December 02, 2008 |
Florida Proposes Tougher Emissions Standards
With its high gas prices and recurring smog problem, California has for years been a nationwide leader in pressing for meaningful fuel economy and emissions standards. However, the nation's largest state—by population, anyway—was famously denied permission to impose higher global warming emissions standards by the EPA. This led to a massive lawsuit brought by 18 states to force the EPA to allow California to impose its stricter standards.
You may very soon see Florida's name added to that list. The Sunshine State has voted to adopt stricter tailpipe emissions standards, with the goal of cutting the carbon emissions across all new cars sold in 2016 to a third of current levels. The proposal, initiated by Republican Governor Charlie Crist, must still pass the state legislature to become law, but appears to have broad bipartisan support.
The state has some serious motivation for combatting climate change. It has been hammered in recent years by hurricanes some blame on the progress of global warming, is the US's most low-lying state by average elevation, and could suffer immensely from rising sea levels. Some of the Florida's most expensive real estate lies at or just above water level, and the state's economy relies heavily on its healthy tourism industry.
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Comments By Readers
Many people are outeagrd about this, and California has announced it will appeal the EPA's decision. The appeal will go to the federal appeals court in Washington, where there is a good chance the decision will be overturned.Since the EPA is an administrative agency controlled by the executive branch, it's no surprise that it doesn't do much to protect the earth when the President is taking advice on the environment from people like . Let's hope there are some positive changes in the white house after the next election.In the meantime, we can all do everything possible to work for change on a grassroots level. The little things we do make a difference, and they have ripple effects beyond the immediate benefits. For example, I ride my bike to my son's elementary school to volunteer. It saves a little gas, but more importantly, I think it has changed some attitudes. The first day I showed up carrying a bike helmet, a woman at the front desk gave me a "who are you, and WTF are you doing here?" kind of look, but now she smiles at me. The kids in my son's class know that I ride a bike even though I have a car, and they know why I do it. Every little bit helps.So vote, keep doing what you can in your own life, and don't let the blankety-blank politicians drag you down.
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