The president's unfair, weak and ineffectual fuel efficiency standards for SUVs were killed by the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals yesterday. The court ruled that the standards don't go far enough to factor in the effects of the climate crisis. NYT:
The court, siding with 4 environmental groups and 13 states and cities, also asked the government to explain why it still treated light trucks — which include pickups, sport utility vehicles and minivans — more mildly than passenger cars.
Under the rejected rule, the average fuel economy of light trucks was to rise to 23.5 miles a gallon in 2010, up from the current standard of 22.5 m.p.g., but still well below the current standard for passenger cars of 27.5 m.p.g.
Tell me if that last part is reasonable or fair -- no matter how you feel about the existence and causes of global warming. Also, it bears repeating...
