Sticker Shock: Calif. Puts Emissions Rating on '09 Cars

Federal judge rules against carmakers on standards for greenhouse gases

(NEWSER) - Vermont can set its own greenhouse emissions standards to curb gases that contribute to global warming, a federal judge ruled yesterday in a decision that boosts states’ rights. Automakers sued the state after it adopted standards originally made law in California, saying the regulations were impractical and would upend the industry, the Times reports. More»

But they'll still get a $300 monthly allowance

(NEWSER) - State lawmakers in California are losing a sweet perk: They'll no longer get to drive cars provided almost entirely at taxpayer expense, with gas and maintenance costs covered. A state panel today stripped lawmakers of the privilege, reports the Los Angeles Times . Instead, they'll drive their own cars and get a $300 monthly allowance for transportation. The move is expected to save the state $2.3 million over five years, which is admittedly a baby step toward getting the $15 billion budget deficit under control. More»

(NEWSER) - Relax, Rush Limbaugh: California is not going to outlaw your favorite car color. The California Air Resources Board said yesterday that it isn’t, and never was, planning to ban black rides to mitigate greenhouse gases, the LA Times reports. A report to the CARB about the advantages of more reflective paint sent Limbaugh into high gear Thursday; the radio host railed against infringement of auto-owners rights on the air and his website proclaimed, “Tyrants Want to Ban Black Cars.” More»

Top US producer faces disaster without swift action on climate change

(NEWSER) - Energy Secretary Steven Chu sees dire effects of global warming, particularly on his home state of California, he tells the Los Angeles Times. Some 90% of the snow in the Sierra Nevada mountains, a vital storehouse for water used in farming and cultivation, could disappear, he said. “We’re looking at a scenario where there’s no more agriculture in California,” Chu said. More»

Wealthy homeowners pay millions for temporary solutions

(NEWSER) - Malibu's scenic Broad Beach is vanishing between the rising sea and the sea walls homeowners are building to protect million-dollar properties from global warming, the Los Angeles Times reports. Ocean levels are projected to rise at least a couple feet in the next century, wiping away this and many other iconic beaches in California, where an inch ocean rise claims 50 inches of land. More»