On April 2, 2007 the Supreme Court ordered the federal government on Monday to take a fresh look at regulating carbon dioxide emissions from cars, a rebuke to Bush administration policy on global warming.

In a 5-4 decision, the court said the Clean Air Act gives the Environmental Protection Agency the authority to regulate the emissions of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases from cars.

The full SCOTUS decision is here

http://www.supremecourtus.gov/opinions/06pdf/05-1120.pdf

I don’t see the evidence for this.

We just finished the warmest December on record in this area and I heard FAR more people talk about how “nice” it was than complain about it.

Even as the evidence for global warming becomes clearer and less subject to debate from the conservatives I’m seeing another, opposite trend at the grass roots. I’m hearing more and more people talk about how maybe it wouldn’t be so bad, and discussing the option of accomodating and adapting to it instead of trying to fight it. As an avid x-c skiier and snowshoer I don’t look forward to low-snow or no snow winters here in New England, but I feel like I’m in the minority.

Alternative energy is a leading story in the 2006 roundup of Discover Magazine’s Year in Science. “In September Chevron announced the discovery of a field containing up to 15 billion barrels of oil beneath the Gulf of Mexico … oil from the new reservoir, called Jack 2, could cost three to four times as much to extract as oil from traditional locations, including rigs on land.”

Unmitigated fossil fuel consumption is going to continue to show more impact, risk, and liability rather than benefit as the future becomes the present. While the US federal government and major US industries are suicidally slow on the transition, they can catch up and speed the move toward alternative behaviors and resources as constituents continue to demand more action at their local level. Though they are being dragged into the present, they may even begin to assume the level of environmental leadership they exercised more than a quarter century ago.

Such federal mandates are invariably bad news for consumers. Keep in mind, the only reason these alternative energy sources need to be mandated is that they are to expensive to compete otherwise. In effect, these proposed laws force the American consumer to switch to costlier energy options.

In fairness some in the GOP also supported some similar ideas,but the Dem leadership has vowed to take it to another level. Barbara Boxer is looking at proposing a Global warming bill that looks at all contributers to carbon dioxide emissions.

Carbon dioxide is an unavoidable byproduct of fossil fuel combustion. So capping emissions of it would require, for the first time ever, govt limits on the amount of coal,oil,and natural gas Americans are allowed to use.-The bottom line. Restrictions on energy use will drive up fuel prices and likely do more economic harm than good.

Thus the Democrats, instead of looking for ways to make energy more plentiful and affordable,the new congress would be moving in the exact oppisite direction,by imposing a costly new energy rationing scheme.

Unfortunately for Jim Press, whether it pays for itself IS the idea from most consumers’ perspectives.

In any market – coffee, clothes, cars, food, etc, there will always be SOME consumers who will make their purchase decisions based on philosophical or religious, or political values. But most consumers, quite sensibly, will be looking at their, personal economics when making a major purchase decision such as a car.

Prius sales have actually declined -3.3% as of Sept ’06 compared to the same period in the previous year (source: Ward’s Auto News) as consumers become more aware of the questionable economics of owning it. This is especially interesting because it faces very little practical competition – most other HEV’s use their hybrid technology to boost performance rather than fuel economy. It’s also interesting because that period saw the highest gas prices in US history.

As an environmentalist I’ve said for a long time that if you want the American public to endorse green, environmentally-friendly policies you will FAIL if you take the Jimmy Carter “put on an extra sweater” approach. Only a few zealots get excited about making sacrifices. America is an essentially optimistic, forward-looking culture and environmentalism needs to sell itself on the basis of people enjoying better, more fun, more free lives, not paying more and facing more limitations and restrictions.

The total cost of development (for the Prius) was an estimated $1 billion — after all the anguish, about average for a new car. But the Prius’s initial reception took some executives, including (president Katsuaki) Watanabe, by surprise. “I did not envisage such a major success at that time,” he says.

“Does it save enough money to pay for itself?” asks Jim Press, president of TMS. “That’s not the idea. What’s the true cost of a gallon of gas, if you factor in foreign aid, Middle Eastern wars, and so on? The truth is on our side.”

In my experience driving time from my house to Cambridge (near Rt 495 NW of Boston) is about 55 minutes on average. Via MBTA commuter rail, including the time to get to/from the stations it’s about 90 minutes, with a little over half of that being the train ride.

Having to share our space with drunks and street people is what some urban liberals regard to be our penance for the sin of having nice comfortable lives in the suburbs.

Today I have errands that will take me to Andover, Chelmsford, Lowell, Tyngsboro and Nashua. Many of these trips will involve shopping at places like Home Depot and Trader Joe’s producing big heavy bags and other articles, or items that will spoil if they are left out of refrigeration for long. It is inconceivable that any sort of public transit would be feasible for this scenario, and yet this is a trypical day for me.

By the way I think our former Gov Mike Dukakis has a big role, or he at one time did with Amtrack. That probably explains some of the waste.

. . . just to clarify, this was Green Line Copley to Park Street Station, the Red Line Park Street to Alewife.