Aren’t we discussing Global Warming?
The purpose of CAFE standards is to conserve fuel, thus reducing our reliance upon imported energy.
With the continued unrest in the Middle East, don’t expect any relaxation on the push to reduce our reliance on imports from that region.
If we all still drove vehicles that get 8 MPG (my last large American sled ), driving would be a luxury and we’d be using more public transportation.
Cars are less safe than horse drawn coaches too.GW is the current excuse used to increase the CAFE standard. as the amount of oil is at an all time high in production, (so is demand). Oil is available in the US, but the government won’t let US companies go get it. The market not government should determine what type of cars we drive. Ralph Nader did a good job of forcing GM to quit producing the Corvair without the government. ToysRUs and Walmart have formed a group to mandate toy safety parameters for imported toys without the government. It’s government regulation that’s the problem. GW is the current excuse for more of it and less liberty.
The market not government would lead to more fuel efficient vehicles. In fact the govt. not the market is what ended vehicles like the Chevy Sprint (1987 it got over 55mpg) and the Honda CRX (late ‘80’s it also got nearly 60mpg). But the increase in vehicle weith for safety features(govt. mandate), and the increase in oil supplies (market driven change) made those vehicles not practical to sell in the USA. The spring (AKA Suzuki Swift) is sill popular overseas.
Where do you get cars are less safe than horse draw coaches. When you consider the huge polution problem from a horse, the extra maintenance and work in taking care of it and the carriage, and how few miles driven, and the huge amount of fuel required to house, feed, the horse, and the huge amounts of methane and CO2 the horse produces etc. they are far less safe and efficient, and environmentally friendly than SUV’s.
Open Anwar and the Gulf of Mexico and we wouldn’t need mideast oil. Or just leave Oil the way it is and the market would determine the kind of vehicles we drive, probably less SUV’s and more small efficient vehicles. CAFE standards, etc is the government deciding what’s right not liberty. Let the people decide what they think is best for themselves not a few elite idiots in Washington deciding what’s best for everybody.
If government is not doing the right thing, we need to change the government. The free market is prone to corruption and mistakes just as much as government is. Government should be used by the people to ensure we’re all enjoying a truly free market.
Open Anwar and the Gulf of Mexico and we wouldn’t need mideast oil.
From what I understand we currently use 15 million barrels a day and ANWR has a reasonable potential of 1 million a day. That’s not enough to make a significant contribution. The Gulf potential?
Market conditions will dictate opening up ANWR and the Florida Gulf. The price of oil just hasn’t hit the price where the majority of US citizens support opening those areas. The current discussion about ANWR is more about making philosophical points rather that actual benefit.
I believe the government is acting on behalf of it’s citizens by setting the CAFE standards and safety regulations. I’m not saying that the government is making the correct decision in this case. When they are consistently wrong, eventually the voters will act and get new leadership.
