US Judge Calls Bluff of Auto Industry in One Paragraph
by David Sassoon - Sep 13th, 2007
The big news today is that a US court has backed the right of states to cut auto emissions. Judge Wiliam Sessions III, who wrote the ruling didn't leave a stone unturned. He concluded that it was well within the ability of the auto industry to improve the fuel economy of vehicles. His ruling is 244 pages long, but here's the one paragraph that says it all.
American automakers are in the vanguard of utilizing hybrid technology to dramatically improve fuel economy. Clean diesel technology is being offered in a growing number of vehicles. Dramatic improvements to powertrain technologies are under study and may be available in the not-too-distant future. Alternative fuels such as ethanol provide another strategy for reducing GHG emissions. The manufacturers have become fully engaged in developing these technologies to address emissions concerns, and those efforts are front-and-center in the public record. History suggests that the ingenuity of the industry, once put in gear, responds admirably to most technological challenges. In light of the public statements of industry representatives, history of compliance with previous technological challenges, and the state of the record, the Court remains unconvinced automakers cannot meet the challenges of Vermont and California’s GHG regulations.
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