 16 Mar 2007 @ 12:47, by Unknown
The false choice posed between our economy and the environment affects our policies (and our image in the world) in harmful ways.
One example is auto mileage standards.
Japan has cars that are required by law to get more than 45 miles per gallon. Europe is not far behind, and has passed new laws designed to surpass Japanese standards. Our friends in Canada and Australia are moving toward higher requirements of more than 30 miles per gallon.
Yet the United States is dead last.
We're told that we have to protect our automobile companies from competition in places like China where, it is said, their leaders don't care about the environment.
In fact, Chinese emissions standards have been raised and already far exceed our own.
Ironically, we cannot sell cars made in America to China because we don't meet their environmental standards.
In California, the state legislature has taken the initiative to require higher standards for car sold in California. But the auto companies are suing California to prevent this state law from taking effect---because it would mean that, 10 years from now, they would be required to manufacture cars for California that are almost as efficient as China is making today.
Our outdated environmental standards are based on faulty thinking about the true relationship between the economy and the environment. They are intended in this case to help automobile companies succeed. But the companies which are building more efficient cars are actually doing well (Toyota, Honda), while the U.S. companies (Ford, GM) are in deep trouble. And yet they're still redoubling their efforts to sell large, inefficient gas-guzzlers...
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