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Automotive News & Views Are automobiles a major cause of global warming?
6840 messages, Last post on Nov 25, 2009 at 2:33 PM
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Replying to: nippononly (Apr 04, 2007 4:10 pm) I would be most interested to read about any country that signed on to Kyoto that has lived up to the Treaty. I watched the speech where Tony Blair stated that Kyoto is unreasonable and not achievable without dire consequences to the economy. I respect your enthusiasm. I just cannot agree that it is a good thing to be tied to. Remember Japan the initiator of the Treaty has not even gotten close to meeting the time line goal of Kyoto. |
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We all need to drive more to help out the folks in the Solomon Islands. It seems the recent earthquake lifted many of the islands as much as 10 feet. It is destroying much of the coral reefs leaving fish to die. They could use a little of that meltdown from the poles. The real point is mother nature deals with the planet much more harshly than we do. I think we give our selves way more credit for the changes that have been occurring for millions of years. I can't wait for the next movie depicting man's causing earthquakes, tsunamis and volcanos.
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Replying to: gagrice (Apr 09, 2007 5:53 am) |
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This is a pretty good idea if they can pull it off.....force people to REALLY REALLY think if they want to pay an extra $2000 polluter fee if they think they need that big Escalade or Extra-Duty diesel truck: Gas guzzler fee approaching passage in Cali The Union of Concerned Scientists says that while smaller cars like the Volkswagen Jetta (+$1,282) and Ford Mustang (+$225) would receive rebates — and low-mileage vehicles like the GMC Yukon SUV (-$2,188) or Dodge Viper (-$2,500) would incur fees — plenty of mid-size and small SUVs and minivans would not. For example, buying a new gasoline-powered Ford Escape or Chrysler Voyager would generate no fee or rebate, and buying a Toyota RAV4 (+$993) or Honda CR-V (+$751) would put money back in the motorists' pocket. Ruskin included exemptions in the bill for emergency vehicles, transit vehicles for disabled people, vehicles purchased by businesses with fewer than 25 employees and vehicles purchased by very low-income people. To dissuade California motorists from leaving the state to buy cars, the bill specifies that such purchases are liable for California fees — but not rebates. Although little-known, there already is a federal "gas guzzler tax." Passed in 1978 by Congress, it requires the buyer of any new passenger car — but not trucks — to pay $1,000 if the vehicle's mileage is lower than 21.5 mpg, increasing to $7,700 for vehicles that get less than 12.5 mpg. The tax ensnares mostly exotic sports cars, such as Ferraris. Drivers interviewed over the weekend had a range of views on the proposal. "I agree with it," said Eric Cross, of Carmel, a U.S. Marine who visited Stevens Creek auto dealers with his wife, Renee, and children looking for a new Toyota RAV4 or Honda CRV. "The folks who would pay the higher prices are already paying higher prices for these big vehicles. If the governor signs it, I would think other states will do it too." |
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30 miles away for several days caused me to understand that Mother Nature contributes to any perceived global warming more than all the diesel logging trucks in the world. The climatic conditions are cyclical and not to be feared. Localized pockets of air stagnation that frequents the LA area deserve strict emission standards, but it is not cost effective to inflict those same emission gadgets on new cars operated in sparsely populated regions. Sell California, take the money and buy Canada. 
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Replying to: euphonium (Apr 10, 2007 10:25 am) btw, I got ashed by Mt. Augustine in '86 and it ruined my windshield. |
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Replying to: euphonium (Apr 10, 2007 10:25 am) I lived in California from 1983-1985 and the air was BAD. I went to a Raging Waters theme park near San Bernadino several times which sat in a "low area" in the hills. Because of that location, the smog settled there in the park. The air was so bad that if I took a really DEEP breath, it would cause me to cough. I was a 20 year old Marine in awesome physical condition and no lung or health problems. I can't imagine what that air did to asthmatics or people with other breathing issues. THAT BEING SAID, I have no frame of reference to know whether or not if I went back to that water park if the air there would affect me the same way. I do know that I have spent about 15 vacation days in California in the last 3 years, and the air is still dirty and the smog blocks all the views. If it (the air) is cleaner now than 1985 that would be a seeming miracle if cars have a noticeable effect, because the number of cars has surely increased MASSIVELY in the last 22-24 years. Does anyone have a link to any data which compares California air cleanliness over the period of the last two decades? |
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Replying to: larsb (Apr 10, 2007 10:41 am) Not sure if this is precisely what you're looking for, but you may find something: http://www.arb.ca.gov/adam/cgi-bin/db2www/polltrendsb.d2w/start#
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Replying to: rorr (Apr 10, 2007 10:58 am) That site indeed shows that the air in the San Bernadino area is FAR cleaner today than in the mid 1980s. So, what can we conclude from that? 1. That CARB has done it's job pretty darn well. 2. Visitors to Raging Waters probably will not be coughing from smog. What we CANNOT conclude from that data: 1. The huge increase in the number of cars on the road in California in the last 20+ years has made the air considerably dirtier. 1984 total registrations in CA: 20,276,000 (approx) 2005 total registrations in CA: 33,164,000 (approx) The total of vehicles almost doubled, but the air is much much cleaner. So where is the vehicle effect data?
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Replying to: larsb (Apr 10, 2007 10:41 am)
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