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Current Events => Politics => Topic started by: Chris_ on May 20, 2010, 10:19:31 PM

Title: Obama to Mandate Rise in Fuel Standards
Post by: Chris_ on May 20, 2010, 10:19:31 PM
Quote
WASHINGTON — President Obama has decided to use his executive power to order tougher fuel efficiency standards for cars and trucks, accelerating the fight against climate change without waiting for Congress, administration officials said Thursday.

The plan Mr. Obama will announce on Friday will order further improvements in fuel efficiency for cars and light trucks made in 2017 and beyond, and in medium and heavy trucks made in 2014 through 2018.

The initiative comes as the spill in the Gulf of Mexico has underscored the problem with dependence on oil, and officials said the president would cite the problem when he discusses his plan. The order allows Mr. Obama to advance his goals even as Senate Democrats have difficulty trying to pass a comprehensive energy bill that he supports.

Medium and heavy trucks represent only 4 percent of all vehicles on American highways but they consume more than 20 percent of on-road transportation fuels, according to the Union of Concerned Scientists, an environmental advocacy organization. Improving the average fuel economy of these trucks by 3.7 miles per gallon would reduce American annual oil consumption by 11 billion gallons in 2030, the group said.
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/05/21/business/energy-environment/21fuel.html?src=busln

Congress?  Who needs them?

They've managed to change the argument from foreign oil to all oil... never let a crisis go to waste when you can use it to push your agenda.
Title: Re: Obama to Mandate Rise in Fuel Standards
Post by: Hawkgirl on May 20, 2010, 10:55:38 PM
It's almost at the $4 mark....where is all the outrage from the libs that protested during the Bush term??
Title: Re: Obama to Mandate Rise in Fuel Standards
Post by: Attero Dominatus on May 20, 2010, 10:58:22 PM
It's almost at the $4 mark....where is all the outrage from the libs that protested during the Bush term??

They probably think that it is somehow Bush's fault.  :mental:
Title: Re: Obama to Mandate Rise in Fuel Standards
Post by: thundley4 on May 21, 2010, 01:43:09 AM
Gas was only $2.87 here today.
Title: Re: Obama to Mandate Rise in Fuel Standards
Post by: Chris_ on May 21, 2010, 01:47:36 AM
It's about that much in town.  I was about 30 miles north of here the other day and bought gas for $2.61 at a Shell station.
Title: Re: Obama to Mandate Rise in Fuel Standards
Post by: Alpha Mare on May 21, 2010, 06:43:07 AM
$2.69 here. $2.89 in town.
Title: Re: Obama to Mandate Rise in Fuel Standards
Post by: Hawkgirl on May 21, 2010, 04:32:55 PM
Oops, I made a mistake...I meant close to the $3 mark.
Title: Re: Obama to Mandate Rise in Fuel Standards
Post by: The Village Idiot on May 21, 2010, 04:36:41 PM
And this will likely set aside $10 billion for the auto companies to "retool" their factories.
Title: Re: Obama to Mandate Rise in Fuel Standards
Post by: thundley4 on May 21, 2010, 04:42:16 PM
And this will likely set aside $10 billion for the Chrysler and GM to "retool" their factories, Ford will get nothing.

fify
Title: Re: Obama to Mandate Rise in Fuel Standards
Post by: The Village Idiot on May 21, 2010, 04:46:39 PM
fify

This is why GM and Chrysler "paid off"  ::) those loans
Title: Re: Obama to Mandate Rise in Fuel Standards
Post by: JohnnyReb on May 22, 2010, 11:09:22 AM
...and we the people demand a rise in political standards.

yeah, yeah, ...I know...demand in one hand and ....the other hand,... yeah, yeah.
Title: Re: Obama to Mandate Rise in Fuel Standards
Post by: Freeper on May 22, 2010, 05:02:56 PM
Stroke of the pen, law of the land, cool.  :whatever:

I would have thought congress had to do this if it were going to happen.
Title: Re: Obama to Mandate Rise in Fuel Standards
Post by: DumbAss Tanker on May 23, 2010, 08:58:20 AM
Hopefully, soon after 2012 draws to a close, all his Executive Orders will be up for review.
Title: Re: Obama to Mandate Rise in Fuel Standards
Post by: NHSparky on May 23, 2010, 09:08:38 AM
They will be.  Executive Orders, while typically carried over from one administration to the next, are only effective while that president is in office.  If a presidential successor does not sign off on them, they go bye-bye.
Title: Re: Obama to Mandate Rise in Fuel Standards
Post by: thundley4 on May 23, 2010, 09:18:10 AM
They will be.  Executive Orders, while typically carried over from one administration to the next, are only effective while that president is in office.  If a presidential successor does not sign off on them, they go bye-bye.

I thought they were in force until another president actively reversed them?
Title: Re: Obama to Mandate Rise in Fuel Standards
Post by: NHSparky on May 23, 2010, 09:31:14 AM
I thought they were in force until another president actively reversed them?

Like I said, legally (IIRC) they're only in force for that presidency, but most successors pencil whip them back without any real comment.  There was one in which Obama changed an EO from the Reagan administration that cause a bit of stir a few months back.