Looks like China is headed in the right direction... http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20060708/wl_as...nt_060708073020
I like the idea of the "Gas Guzzler Tax" they plan on implementing. I wish the US would adopt something similar.
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(mcbrunnhilde @ Jul 8 2006, 10:24 PM) [snapback]283200[/snapback]</div> Kind of. Car sales in general (for mainland China) are up 50% over last year: http://yahoo.businessweek.com/globalbiz/co...0711_947833.htm That's a lot more gas being used, even if it is used more efficiently. Can't deny them what we've been enjoying, however.
That's a lot more gas being used, even if it is used more efficiently. Can't deny them what we've been enjoying, however.[/QUOTE] It sounds like China is finally taking a look at the externalized costs of pollution -- part of the true cost of petroleum dependence.
There IS a penalty, per car, for poor CAFE standards. Mercedes is typically the worse for mpg so they tack on hundreds to the cost ... and it's as though Mercedes owners (we used to have their E300) don't care. Some eventually wise up. Other manufacturers, like GM, avoid the fine by concocting the ethanol farce ... where grain fuel ratios per gallon don't count towards their land barge's poor fuel mileage. Of course, you have to elect a bunch of crooked politicians too, to implement the crooked scheem, or the plan doesn't work. .
The Communists at the top in China are engineers and economists. Our political leaders are mainly lawyers. That is a big difference. We also have a government that's largely stalemated right now, and controlled by special interests--not a good model for fledgling democracies.
Though it's true at one time most politicians came from law backgrounds, it's not so any more. Now, we have astronauts, CIA guys, ball-team owners, pro wrestlers, military leaders, actors, etc. Back in the day, the theory was you'd WANT attornys to legislate, because if you failed high school civics, you likely wouldn't get laws drafted that could pass constitutional muster. So maybe the opposite is true now days ... now that there are LESS lawyers in charge, maybe that why things are going south? Just a thought. As for low emission cars in china, lest we forget, China has a LONG way to go before their pollution standards are near ours. If cars in china improve (for illustration) 300% ... that's not necessarily as good as U.S. cars improving 3% ... because China has gone so long with NO smog restrictions ... so in order to be as smog free as a hybrid, they have to do a lot of clean up. Many in china still use coal for heating & cooking. That's a lota potential black lung looking for a place to happen. But that also the reason China is finally working hard to improve things. .
