Word: epa
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Dates: during 2000-2009
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...plan settles a dispute between the state of California and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) that dates back to George W. Bush's White House. Under the Clean Air Act, California has the right to enforce air-pollution standards that are tougher than the rest of the nation's rules - provided the EPA gives it a waiver. In the past, such waivers had been all but automatic - but when California tried to pass stricter emissions standards for vehicles, the Bush EPA balked, setting up a string of legal battles. California pressed its right to green its millions of cars...
When Obama came into office in January, he promised that the EPA would review California's waiver requests. But instead of simply giving the green light to California, Obama will also largely incorporate the state's proposed rules into a new and tougher fuel-economy standard for the entire nation. The new rules will tighten fuel-efficiency requirements more slowly than California had wanted - to give the auto industry time to adjust - but ultimately the nation's automakers will end up meeting the same standards as California by model year...
...EPA also studied a 100-year time horizon, which makes the numbers look a bit better for corn and soy, but makes no sense: Who knows if we're going to use biofuels or gas or even automobiles for the next 100 years? Scientists believe we need to reduce our emissions 80% by 2050 to avoid catastrophe; the notion that we should tear down our rain forests and peatlands today in the hope that our cars will burn a bit cleaner a century from now is political analysis, not environmental analysis. "That's something we'll have to take into...
...true that Congress forced the Administration into this weird situation, in which it has to conduct pro-forma analyses of a policy that's essentially a done deal. Even if the EPA does rule that some biofuels flunk the life-cycle test, the industry can still apply for waivers...
...with ethanol could feed an adult for a year; we need every acre of farmland to feed the world. President Obama never claimed to be a reformer when it came to ethanol, and he and Vilsack have been big supporters of next-generation biofuels. Maybe there's nothing EPA officials can do to stop the renewable-fuels steamroller, but it would nice if they suggested slowing it down...