Thanks for posting this article Kakki. The update on this is that this part of the plan was bipartisan & got voted down. I posted the article a few days ago, here it is again (link at the end of this post).
Reading the arguments against this plan shows just what kind of mindset is still in place as far as this issue goes, such as: "American women love S.U.V.'s," said Senator Barbara A. Mikulski, Democrat of Maryland, who lives in Baltimore, where there is a large General Motors plant. "When you are a soccer mom and you are picking up kids or you are car-pooling or have kids with gear, you need large capacity." Senator Zell Miller, Democrat of Georgia, who sponsored the amendment exempting pickup trucks from higher standards, said he was protecting "hard-working people with calloused hands." The encouraging news is here: "Environmentalists lost on fuel efficiency, but they were likely to prevail later in the month by blocking a proposal to allow oil and gas exploration in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge in northern Alaska. Senator Tom Daschle, Democrat of South Dakota, the majority leader, has promised that the Alaska drilling measure will be filibustered, and the proponents apparently do not have the 60 votes necessary to bring the matter to a vote" WASHINGTON, March 13 The Senate rejected a measure today to stiffen fuel-efficiency requirements for cars and trucks, once again resolving the perennial battle between environmentalists and the automobile industry in favor of the industry. http://www.nytimes.com/2002/03/14/politics/14ENER.html >>The Democrats' plan would require passenger vehicles made after 2006 and before 2010 to get 36 miles per gallon, and light trucks to get 27.5 miles per gallon. That's compared to the current standard of 27.5 miles per gallon for cars and 20.7 miles per gallon for light trucks. The House plan contains less strict cuts in fuel consumption from only light trucks.<< ******************************************** Kate Bennett www.katebennett.com sponsored by Polysonics Discover the Indies at Taylor Guitars: http://www.taylorguitars.com/artists/awp/indies/bennett.html ********************************************
