Americans are pretty good at ignoring any
idea that they do not want to deal with. And GLOBAL WARMING is one of those ideas. And we
are also very good at thumbing our collective noses at the rest of the world if we do not
like any of the proposals put forth by this community.
Y2K was one of the hottest, wettest years on record. Average
global temperatures last year were almost identical to those in 1999 which makes 2000 one
of the hottest years in the past 120. And it may also be in the top ten for wettest years.
The United States had a very cool November but this was negated by the warmest December in
1999. Records run between December 1 through the following November. So the cool winter
weather we have had this year will appear in the next statistics. And another fact is that
Barrow, Alaska had their first ever thunderstorm during this past year.
All this is in line with the predictions of GLOBAL WARMING.
The models predict more extreme weather outside the tropics with major snowstorms in the
north, floods and violent storms elsewhere. Drought in major areas is also in the cards.
A report drafted by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, a group of hundreds of
scientists established by the United Nations, authored the latest studies. The newest
calculations add urgency to international treaty talks on curbing greenhouse gas emissions
which collapsed last November.
The biggest single step the United States needs to take is
to adopt stronger automotive fuel-economy standards for cars and light trucks. Other
countries do not subsidize gasoline costs as this country does and the price per gallon
ranges upwards of $4.00 per gallon. If we paid the true cost of driving our cars and
trucks, the fuel economy would change greatly.
Congress passed current Corporate Average Fuel Economy
(CAFÉ) standards in 1975 at the height of the environmental movement. These standards
have proven to be the most successful energy-saving measure Congress ever adopted, saving
3 million barrels of oil per day. This is more oil than we import from the Persian Gulf.
The standards require that new cars average 27.5 miles per gallon (mpg) and light trucks
average 20.7 mpg. However, since automakers achieved these standards in the 1980’s,
average fuel economy levels have declined. The average fuel economy of new vehicles sold
in 2000 sank to its lowest point since 1980.
Cars and light trucks guzzle 40 % of the U.S. oil and emit
20 % of the nation’s carbon dioxide pollution. Each gallon of gas used puts 28 pounds
of carbon dioxide into the air. The average car emits about 70 tons of carbon dioxide over
its lifetime..the average SUV around 100 tons. Just the automobiles in the U.S. produce
more global-warming pollution than all sources in Great Britain combined.
It is calculated that updated CAFÉ standards could save an
additional 3 million barrels of oil each day when fully implemented. New standards of 45
mpg for cars and 34 mpg for light trucks would cut carbon dioxide pollution by 600 million
tons and save consumers at least $45 billion each year at the pump. The U.S. is the
world’s largest emitter of carbon dioxide and must take the lead in reducing this
pollution.
There is no doubt that Americans are in love with their cars
and light trucks. Lately, the biggest attachment has been to the SUVs and off-road
vehicles. These last two named units of transportation and recreational use are the worst
polluters of all. Somehow, Americans must come to grips with what they are doing to the
world just to satisfy their egos. Most drivers of the SUVs do not really need such a large
and heavy vehicle. It is a "macho" thing. But even if these must stay with us,
technology can bring improvement in the fuel economy if we, as a people, insist on it.
A study by the American Council for an Energy-Efficient
Economy shows that a higher fuel economy will actually create jobs. The real danger is
that U.S. automakers show no leadership in developing new technologies. Japanese and
European car makers are putting lean-burning engines, continuously variable transmissions,
and other efficiency technologies into their cars, American automakers do not. Fuel
economy standards for light trucks have virtually stagnated for 20 years and they are
one-half of all new vehicles sold today.
Raising automobile fuel economy is like finding a new source
of oil under Detroit. Over 40 % of the oil we use in this country goes into our cars and
trucks. Just think what we could save if only we put our minds to it. Not the least would
be a savings of considerable cash. We would cut our trade deficit, enhance national
security, slash pollution, and slow GLOBAL WARMING. All this might even slow the erosion
of our shorelines which follows the warming. Warmer temperatures bring sea level rise
which in turn makes storm damage worse. And on and on.
TOP FIVE GLOBAL WARMING POLLUTERS
1. UNITED STATES
2. CHINA
3. RUSSIA
4.
JAPAN
5. U.S. AUTOS
TONNAGE OF CARBON DIOXIDE PRODUCED BY VEHICLES OVER LIFETIME
(124,000 MILES)
Ford Excursion (13 mpg) 134 tons
Jeep Grand Cherokee (18 mpg) 102 tons
Ford Taurus (23 mpg) 64 tons
Honda Civic HX (36 mpg) 36 tons
Honda Insight (65 mpg) 27 tons
GLOBAL WARMING - WHAT MUST BE DONE by
Pat Suter - see below
COASTAL DEVELOPMENT by
Pat Suter
