6%. Is it enough?
I can't find the report right now, but Market Place, on National Public Radio, had a stint that today that we were raising fuel economy standards on light trucks and some SUVs. Wish I could find more specifics, but here's a report on it over at CNN.
Basically, minivan mileage goes up by 1.5 mpg, while small SUVs have to go up as much as 9 mpg. It's an average of 6% increase over 3 years, from 2008 to 2011. Is it enough?
On the Market Place/NPR report, an expert in the field said it would amount to a month of oil savings over 15 years time. Other analysts have called the move "woefully inadequate", and many are already pointing out easy solutions for auto makers to dodge the requirements (the simplest being making cars slightly bigger).
Regardless, it's a move in the right direction. Earlier this year, some senator or another pointed out that if we raised fuel economy standards to 30mpg by 2015, we could be almost completely independent of foreign oil by 2030 or something. *(could have those dates wrong)* Unfortunately, like this report, I was in the car upon hearing that news and didn't have time to immediately do my own research. I don't have a lot of patience when it comes to digging through sensationalist journalistic sluff to find real facts, so I can't find hard evidence of the report on NPR, the senator making the claim, or the evidence he/she was touting. :(
Still, it's something. Maybe not enough, but I remember the message in the 80's was that 1 person recycling won't save the world, but that's 1 less person not recycling. Generally, if I test the waters with a little effort, and there's no acknowledgement of said effort, I'm not going to give something my all. Perhaps instead of bitching about the little victories, we should applaud them and work toward bigger victories. *shrug*
Basically, minivan mileage goes up by 1.5 mpg, while small SUVs have to go up as much as 9 mpg. It's an average of 6% increase over 3 years, from 2008 to 2011. Is it enough?
On the Market Place/NPR report, an expert in the field said it would amount to a month of oil savings over 15 years time. Other analysts have called the move "woefully inadequate", and many are already pointing out easy solutions for auto makers to dodge the requirements (the simplest being making cars slightly bigger).
Regardless, it's a move in the right direction. Earlier this year, some senator or another pointed out that if we raised fuel economy standards to 30mpg by 2015, we could be almost completely independent of foreign oil by 2030 or something. *(could have those dates wrong)* Unfortunately, like this report, I was in the car upon hearing that news and didn't have time to immediately do my own research. I don't have a lot of patience when it comes to digging through sensationalist journalistic sluff to find real facts, so I can't find hard evidence of the report on NPR, the senator making the claim, or the evidence he/she was touting. :(
Still, it's something. Maybe not enough, but I remember the message in the 80's was that 1 person recycling won't save the world, but that's 1 less person not recycling. Generally, if I test the waters with a little effort, and there's no acknowledgement of said effort, I'm not going to give something my all. Perhaps instead of bitching about the little victories, we should applaud them and work toward bigger victories. *shrug*
In other news, a couple of sunspots should be making some pretty sweet auroras in the extreme north tonight and tomorrow night. Cool stuff.
posted by Amazing Shafeman at 2:23 PM
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