I found this article on Yahoo today. My first thought was, “so it only takes the at the pump pricing to average $2.50 nationally before even Bush decides he, being an Oil Man, is really raping the American people.” But then I read the rest of the article. Of course since I found it on Yahoo it is most likely an edited version of some AP post. With that in mind, I am gonna comment on a few of the high(?) points of the article.
The proposal would require the auto industry to raise standards for most vehicles other than cars beginning in 2008. All automakers would have to comply with the new system by 2011.
Okay, so the problem has been building for all of time. It really began to show its teeth in the oil shock in 1979(?), now we are finally going to do something about it, after all this time! But, not right away. It will start in three years, then it will be a requirement in six years. Way to nip it in the bud fully grown, out of control disaster phase, then, wait another six years to go ahead and do anything about it.
But the plan would not apply to the largest SUVs, such as the Hummer H2…
Oh, so they don’t want to curb the fuel usage of the largest SUVS, they just want to make the small cars more economic with their fuel. What in the FUCK is that all about? Okay not really the small cars, just light trucks and other such, pretty much anything between an actual car and really big SUV’s are the ones that are covered. So light cars, since they have pretty decent requirements anyway, aren’t really covered. Huge SUV’s, since they don’t know the meaning of the phrase “fuel economy” are also not covered. It is only covering mid-sized trucks, which should have to have some sort of standard, but why not cover the really huge ones that consume the majority of the fuel? You know, the ones that the Bush administration gave people tax breaks for buying, the ones that only get 10-12 miles per gallon? Those ones are exempt, why?
Oh yeah.
“At a time when Americans are paying record prices for gas, the Bush administration has sided with its cronies in the auto industry and rejected real solutions,” said Dan Becker, director of the Sierra Club’s global warming program.
This is a war on terror after all. How is it possible that becoming less dependent on foreign oil could possibly help America? That’s right! There is no way. It is our dependence on foreign oil that puts us into, and keeps us in, such quagmires as the situation in Iraq. That is obviously helping to change the world view of the U.S., we are now viewed as liberators (of the oil of whatever country we decide to invade next). And could it possibly be just a coincidence that the year slated for the beginning of Bush’s grand good passable new fuel standards happens to be the year that he leaves office?
Of course auto manufacturers are not at all set back by this, well, maybe a little bit
American automakers have cited a disadvantage against foreign competitors because sales of large SUVs, a major source of profits in recent years, must be offset by the sale of smaller models to comply with fuel economy standards.
So, they are at a disadvantage because they are selling huge, ugly, gas-guzzling cars, while other companies are selling small, sleek, cute, fuel-efficient cars? Why don’t they just go ahead and build some small, sleek, cute, fuel-efficient cars of their own? Oh, I got it. They can’t make ten thousand dollars per sale on cars that only cost ten thousand to the consumer.
Then there’s this:
The Alliance of Automobile Manufacturers, a trade group representing nine automakers, said the “higher fuel economy standards will be a challenge, even with all of the new fuel-efficient technologies that are offered for sale today.”
These fuel-efficient technologies include such things as solar power, fuel cells, hydrogen (which most people are afraid of since a dirigible filled with the gas once fell from the sky), not to mention various patented technologies that vaporize gasoline before it reaches your engine (some engines in the 1970’s, running with v-8’s and carburetors were able to achieve more than 60mpg using that technology, and that was a simple consumer add on).
Do they really expect us to believe that they can’t do it? My guess is that, given the current administration, they won’t do it. I think the reason the fuel standards are supposed to come into play the year Bush leaves office is solely to make it look like he did something decent during his eight years. If Bush wasn’t an Oil Man, he would probably try to make standards to help curb fuel usage for generations to come, since he is an Oil Man, he offered a bill that slightly changes fuel standards, which will only come into play once he leaves office. He will leave office with very full pockets, but also as the least admired president of all time.
Mark my words.