Global Warming

Cars and Global Warming: Directly Proportional

The topic of global warming is, at once, scientific, economic, technological and political. And it is always a topic that creates plenty of its own heat. Mob may have correctly spotted the problem, but they are not exploring the right solutions. For instance, they note, if cooling the Earth is our primary objective, then reducing [...]

The topic of global warming is, at once, scientific, economic, technological and political. And it is always a topic that creates plenty of its own heat.

Mob may have correctly spotted the problem, but they are not exploring the right solutions. For instance, they note, if cooling the Earth is our primary objective, then reducing carbon emissions is a lousy way to cool off the planet. Their reasoning goes like this:

Even if we cut carbon emissions today, the Earth will continue warming for decades because carbon hangs in the atmosphere for decades. Economically, cutting emissions is expensive. Pragmatically, it requires worldwide cooperation. Like that is going to happen. We need a better.

Two federal agencies, working with California, have taken the biggest step in the nation’s history to reduce the United States’ global warming footprint. The United States on Thursday finalized its first greenhouse gas emissions rules on automobiles and significantly boosted fuel efficiency standards for the first time since the 1970s, moves Canada jointly imposed on its industry.

“Establishing a harmonized approach to regulating light-duty vehicle GHG (Greenhouse Gas) emissions and fuel economy is critically important, given the interdependent goals of addressing climate change and ensuring energy independence and security,” states the report accompanying the new emission rules.

Vehicles in the United States release more global warming pollution than all but five countries. Given the greenhouse gases spewed along the nation’s roadways, the cost of importing oil and the risk of relying on overseas supplies, we must start working on and adopt a next generation of fuel economy and emissions standards that begin to wean us off internal combustion engines.

Less-polluting passenger cars should be available for those who want them. It is up to the auto industry to develop the next generation of technology to provide them, along with SUVs and pickups. And it is government’s role to set the standards that push industry to meet this goal.

The auto industry is at a crossroads: Do we move it down the path of safer, less polluting, more efficient vehicles, or do we allow the companies to continue on the course that led some of them to bankruptcy and ignominy?

Getting the next generation of cars right isn’t just good for the planet. It’s good for American jobs. It’s good for the economy. It’s even good for the carmakers.

If we are really serious about making a change in the climate of the globe, why aren’t more action groups pursuing the benefits of geo-engineering? After all, we only get one planet.Let’s not screw it up.