Kyoto
Russia is set to ratify the most sweeping reforms to air quality control globally, setting in motion the Kyoto protocls. By some standards, these are really weak. The US is of course, not participating.
Meanwhile, California's sweeping regulations on exhaust has come under fire from the auto industry. Detroit is claiming that California does not have the right regulate miles per gallon on autos, and essentially they new exhaust standards can only be met with higher MPG. This of course at the same time Ford is ceasing production of its line of natural gas vehicles.
Hybrid vehicles are now acutally becoming popular with Honda's Civic and insight. SUV's are getting a facelift too wtih several hybrid models. These are of course misleading since the hybrid SUVs are still only getting about 25 mpg. The Civic hybrid on the other hand averages 50.
So what are we to do?
Detroit really dropped the ball with the encironmental movement. The gas crisis three decades ago should have clued them in, but instead they developed the SUV. With Russia signing onto Kyoto, and China expanding the auto market faster than they can import oil, a high fuel efficiency car could have saved detroit. Instead, they built a hotel and Autoworld.
The new economy, corporations claim, for the Unitd States, is to become a leader of design and outsource everything else. Computer programming will be done in India, but computer research will be done in the United States, and our ideas will be sold to the billions of the world.
This future of the United States Economy might work if we actually were in the business of developing technology. But Japan's automakers were the ones who introduced us to the hybrid auto. If the United States is going to be a leader in design and export techonology, we have to actually do some research and produce some products.
Meanwhile, California's sweeping regulations on exhaust has come under fire from the auto industry. Detroit is claiming that California does not have the right regulate miles per gallon on autos, and essentially they new exhaust standards can only be met with higher MPG. This of course at the same time Ford is ceasing production of its line of natural gas vehicles.
Hybrid vehicles are now acutally becoming popular with Honda's Civic and insight. SUV's are getting a facelift too wtih several hybrid models. These are of course misleading since the hybrid SUVs are still only getting about 25 mpg. The Civic hybrid on the other hand averages 50.
So what are we to do?
Detroit really dropped the ball with the encironmental movement. The gas crisis three decades ago should have clued them in, but instead they developed the SUV. With Russia signing onto Kyoto, and China expanding the auto market faster than they can import oil, a high fuel efficiency car could have saved detroit. Instead, they built a hotel and Autoworld.
The new economy, corporations claim, for the Unitd States, is to become a leader of design and outsource everything else. Computer programming will be done in India, but computer research will be done in the United States, and our ideas will be sold to the billions of the world.
This future of the United States Economy might work if we actually were in the business of developing technology. But Japan's automakers were the ones who introduced us to the hybrid auto. If the United States is going to be a leader in design and export techonology, we have to actually do some research and produce some products.
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