You gotta love the Club for Growth. If there's any aspect of pro-corporation PR they're not involved in, I'll be shocked. Of course, they've always loved fighting environmental legislation, which is why it's no surprise they're about to run a major ad campaign urging Congress to shoot down the Lieberman-Warner climate change bill.

A conservative, free-market advocacy group will begin airing ads this week pressing Senate Republicans and Democrats to vote against a bill that aims to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

The Club for Growth wants to scuttle a bill by Sens. Joseph Lieberman, an independent from Connecticut, and John Warner, R-Va., that the Senate is scheduled to begin debating next month. Despite the ad campaign, the bill seems to lack the votes needed to overcome a filibuster.

With $250,000 in radio and television spots, the Club for Growth is targeting Republican Sens. Elizabeth Dole of North Carolina and Lamar Alexander of Tennessee, and Democratic Sens. Robert Byrd and Jay Rockefeller of West Virginia and Max Baucus and Jon Tester of Montana. Dole, a co-sponsor of the bill, as well as Alexander, Baucus and Rockefeller face re-election this year.

This doesn't mean Lieberman-Warner is necessarily a good bill. But it is a pro-environment bill that will start the process of moving the U.S. in the right direction, even with the flaws it contains. It would be much better now, with a Republican in the White House, to pass this bill and send a notice to heavy polluters that times are about to change. Then when we get a Democrat elected to the office of President, we can really push for much more stringent standards, and push for truly effective environmental legislation.

Biodiesel extends the life of bus engines

A school district in Virginia has decided to switch their fleet of buses to biodiesel.

Two years ago Gloucester Co. decided to test alternative fuels on 20 of its school buses. Now all of its buses are running on biodiesel that’s made right outside Hampton Roads.

Biodiesel is petrodiesel mixed with soybean oil, and Head of Transportation for the Gloucester County School System Roger Kelly says bus drivers using it have noticed the difference.

“Some of our drivers have even commented that they see that the buses run smoother,” he said.

[...]

Bio-diesel acts like a cleaning agent. For school buses, this means the fuel has the ability to clean mineral deposits from the fuel injectors, fuel tanks and fuel lines. In the long run, that means a bus can stay in service a lot longer before needing a new engine.

The good news is that it is cleaner. But like most biofuels, there is a cost to consider, namely what the source of the fuel is. As long as we're not taking crops out of the food chain, biodiesel is a great alternative. But we have to be careful that we're using sources of fuel that won't lead to food shortages sooner rather than later.

Climate Progress has noted that California is going to be adding another number to the stickers on new cars starting next year. This time, it's a Climate Change Score (pdf).

Next to the smog score will be a global warming score. The California
Air Resources Board (CARB) is putting the finishing touches on the
program.

[...]

Vehicles are assigned a score of 1 to 10 based upon their emissions,
with 1 for the worst, and 10 for the lowest greenhouse gas emissions.
However, calling it a “Global Warming Score” and having 10 be the best
is likely to cause some confusion. Perhaps “Planet Saver Score” would
be better?

I have to agree. A "Global Warming Score" of 10 being better than 1 is a little awkward. Maybe it'll get changed by the time the program goes into effect next year.

The only bad thing about this is that state governments shouldn't have to develop these type of programs. This is something that the federal government should be doing, making it a nation-wide program. But hey, every little bit counts, I suppose.

Representative Peter Welch of Vermont submitted a bill on Thursday that would allow California and other states to set create their own laws regarding greenhouse gases and other emissions. The bill, H.R. 5560, was has 58 cosponsors. via Reuters.

A bill was introduced in the House
of Representatives on Thursday that would overturn the
Environmental Protection Agency's decision to prevent
California from limiting the amount of greenhouse gas emissions
spewed by cars.

 

The EPA last December turned down California's request for
a waiver from federal law that would have permitted the state
to cut vehicle carbon dioxide emissions, which when implemented
would have likely have raised the required fuel efficiency of
cars and also fought global warming.

A group of 60 House lawmakers introduced legislation that
would immediately grant California's waiver request and also
clear the way for 12 other states to set vehicle tailpipe
emissions standards.

Some have questioned the legality of the EPA's decision not to allow states to set their own emissions standards, but it's widely believed that nothing will be done to pursue the issue within the executive branch. The question remains whether or not this bill can pass the House and Senate, and if it does, whether or not President Bush will allow it to become law.

The alternative is to wait a year and add this issue to the growing list of issues that our next President is going to have to fix.