Yesterday the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that CO2 is a form of
pollution. In the long term, this may benefit cold fusion, for the
reasons explained by Felix Kramer of the CalCars plug-in hybrid group:
"The Supreme Court has ruled that greenhouse gases are polluting
emissions subject to regulation by the US Environmental Protection
Agency. As a result, new cars in the relatively near future are going
to have to emit much lower CO2 than they do now. This adds to the
pressures on the auto industry to end business as usual thinking,
and, we hope, start building "good enough" PHEVs. It adds to the
momentum to fuel cars from renewable low-carbon sources.
This ruling sets the stage for the EPA to approve the waiver
necessary for California's first Global Warming Bill (AB1493, 2002)
to go into effect. That bill requires automakers to begin reducing
GHGs from cars beginning in 2009, with
reductions reaching 30% in 2016 . . ."
This may turn out to be one of the most important events in the
history of environmentalism.
Also in California, Gov. Schwarzenegger has turned out to be
remarkably friendly toward environmentalism, and also an effective
governor. This is a pleasant surprise to me.
- Jed
