Smog, Particulate Matter, Asthma? The US Shrugged
A couple of days ago the New York Times ran a piece on the Bali climate treaty talks. It summed up the world's overall resignation over the White House's insistent derailment of climate change actions in its title: "Climate Plan Looks Beyond Bush's Tenure".
Bali came and went.Talk of ozone, smog, fine particulate matter rising seas, asthma, and economies hamstrung by dependence on oil. The US shrugged, and most of the press dared not jinx the "progress".
One thing is clear about these free wheeling free market politicians. At the end of their tenure, should they need a job, Bush and company would be a shoo-in at one of the giant auto makers who gleefully exult and gratefully exhale every time the administration obstructs action on global warming.
Patchwork Planet, Minus the US
The latest move is a new twist from an administration that struts around opposing federal solutions (but for Medicare), and handwaving at market solutions (which remain invisible). Yesterday the paradoxically named Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) declined California's 2005 petition to develop its own emissions legislation. The EPA had never denied such a request from California.
Just last week the state won a district court ruling after auto industry sued the state over its plan to set emissions policy. But the state still needed the EPA's approval to proceed. Sixteen other states have similar legislative attempts in the making and were waiting on the EPA's decision.
David McCurdy, president and chief executive of the Alliance of Automobile Manufacturers derided California's attempt to write its own emissions law, claiming that:
"[a] patchwork quilt of inconsistent and competing fuel economy programs at the state level would only have created confusion, inefficiency and uncertainty for automakers and consumers."
Interestingly, as if they were together reading the same book, the Environmental Protection Agency's administrator Stephen L. Johnson defended the EPA's rebuff of California with the same bedcover term, saying, "The Bush administration is moving forward with a clear national solution, not a confusing patchwork of state rules". (OK, he didn't say "quilt").
The 17 states may well ban together in some sort of "patchwork (quilt)" alliance and sue the EPA.
