Sunday, April 19, 2009

EPA Proposing New Limits on Greenhouse Gases


The new Obama administration is in Washington and there are going to be some changes. The EPA on Friday declared that industrial greenhouse gases are a danger to human health, opening the door to a wave of new regulations to reduce carbon dioxide and many other gases that effect global warming.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is federal governmental agency charged with regulating chemicals and protecting the air, water and land. The EPA was started by President Richard Nixon and began operation on December 2, 1970. It has been responsible for the environmental policy of the United States.

The facts are that these new EPA regulations can substantially impact cars and trucks. Autos account for almost 25% of the nations output of global warming gases. This ruling will also impact a number of other major manufacturing industries.

This ruling marks a fundamental shift from the Bush Administration, which did not believe that global warming was caused by greenhouse gases.

The bottom line is that the auto industry has fought these types of EPA ruling for years. The auto manufacturers have successfully lobbied congress to block many of the the past EPA initiatives. Now that the auto industry is on the ropes and in a precarious state and dependant on the new Obama administration for funding.

My take is that this will materially impact the auto manufacturers in the United States and probably the world. Auto manufacturers will have to produce vehicles that get better fuel economy, meanwhile generating fewer greenhouse emissions.
Some of the immediate effects will be that Detroit will have to produce less gas guzzlers, drop higher output motors, produce small more fuel efficient motors, and produce many more hybrids and electric vehicles. The bottom line is that cars will materially change over the next several years.

Go to
LA Times article by Jim Tankersley and Margot Roosevelt for more information.

8 comments:

  1. Hi Pete .. the government here has just legislated that business is legally bound to adhere to new percentages - reducing our carbon emissions in business ..which business says is good as they have certainty for the future.

    I guess .. it'll help the entrepreneurs and car companies to hone in on developing new technology .. which is what has to come out of today's credit crunch.

    Thanks Pete - it'll be interesting to follow the developments
    Hilary Melton-Butcher
    Positive Letters

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  2. Hello Hilary,

    Overall this the probably a good thing for the quality of the environment. Timing is bad since the auto companies are in desparate straights. These type of programs will cost the auto companies billions of dollars to implement.

    Yes your right....a number of new technologies will come out of this. Some of the technologies that I have outlined in previous posts will be beneficiaries. Tesla Motors will be helped by these rulings!

    This was not an exciting post, but important to outline where the auto business is going.

    Thank you for your comments.

    Pete Baca
    The Car Enthusiast Online

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  3. Pete,
    It sounds like cars will be improving overall? Thanks for keeping me up to date on the latest info! Keep up the good work...

    Dr.Bob

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  4. Hello Dr. Bob,

    Definitely...cars will be improving with newer green technologies. My concern is the cost to implement all these changes. Currently, the auto industry is in a distressed state.

    Thanks for commenting!

    Best Regards

    Pete Baca
    The Car Enthusiast Online

    ReplyDelete
  5. Hi Pete,

    Science and technology has almost always surcrificed or destroyed some part of nature or environment. It may be time to give more priority and importance of conservation of nature.

    Thank you for your nice update.

    Shaw Funami
    Fill the Missing Link

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  6. Peter, Thank you for the information that you provide with your blog. Their will a lot of changes. We will see if our auto industry will stay afloat though it all. Have a good day.
    Dan and Deanna "Marketing Unscrambled"

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  7. Hellow Shaw,

    Your right....if auto emissions are part of the global warming we have to act. So the Obama administration is on the right track.

    Thank you for commenting on my blog!

    Best Regards

    Pete Baca
    The Car Enthusiast Online

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  8. Hi Dan & Deanna,

    This is a very difficult time for the auto industry. Obama is correct that a succcessful auto industry is vital to the prosperity and defense of the U.S.

    I think that the U.S. auto industry will survive! He is going to make sure that they become greener companies in the process.

    Thanks for commenting!

    Pete Baca
    The Car Enthusiast Online

    ReplyDelete