we here in the Houston area might have our highway speed limits cut back to 55MPH in 2002 in an effort to reduce air pollution. This would be more acceptable if they got rid of the useless and wasteful HOV lanes and added more regular lanes on the freeway (particularly i-10). maybe i should just move to Austin?
It's the only solution. Besides, Austin Rocketball III can't be too far off ------------------ NOTHING BUT .NET CLUTCHCITY.NET
I think you guys read the new rules wrong. The new rule is: Everyone MUST drive an Excursion. You just have to drive it a little slower. Under the new rules, Cars that consume less gas than Excursions will be taxed an extra $50. Anyone who consumes less gas than an Excursion isn't contributing enough to the oil industry. So, an additional $50 registration tax will be applicable for all fuel-efficient cars and transferred directly to Exxon/Mobil. No real movement for emission standards. No tax based on engine displacement or rate of fuel consumption. Or on gasoline. No way. I remember cars on the "Price Is Right" always had the "California Emissions" option. Even 15 years ago. California has had stricter emission standards for YEARS. Now we have worse air than LA (at least for ozone) and make no move on emission standards. We should permit less pollution in cars. Bring the SUV/truck pollution standard into line with the car standard. We did neither. We say "Just drive slower". counterpoint - we did increase emission testing or something, right? We didn't change the emission standards? We just decided to test more cars more often? Or did we maybe change the max emission standard for cars or trucks? (and I'm all wrong?)
The state did require more stringent emissions standards in the big cities several years ago. The thought being that older cars cause the bulk of the problems in terms of pollution. Get the older cars that don't pass off the road, and you've done a lot to decrease pollution. The problem is that these rules aren't really followed all that well. For one thing, I can simply go outside the city once a year and get my inspection sticker renewed without an emissions test (they don't do it outside the cities), or I can find a place that will pass my car regardless of whether it passes or not (I've known of several of these places). By the way, cars today are actually generally cleaner burning than they were 15 years ago. So a new Honda without California emissions is going to be cleaner burning than a 1983 Honda with California emissions. But hey, I think the state should make emissions laws tougher. I also think there should be more requirements for cleaner-burning CNG vehicles. Of course, I mostly think that since the family owns a lot of gas wells, but that's neither here nor there. I really do think the State (and the US) should make emissions laws tougher. Car companies complain about any new, higher standards for their cars, but those standards often end up pushing them to make better cars and end up helping the consumer. (And that's coming from a person who is not only a Republican, but an avowed "car guy"). (For example, since the CAFE standards were raised, we get cars with far better gas mileage than before, and we've done that without giving up much in the way of power or comfort. Engineers love a challenge. Let's give them another one by raising the required CAFE and enacting higher emissions standards.) You call your Congressman and State Reps, and I'll call mine (I don't think State Rep. Kent Grusendorf will care, but my Congressman, Martin Frost, might. I don't even know who my State Senator is). You know, though, I've often toyed with the idea of running for the State House of Representatives because of issues just like this one. There are so many issues that just aren't being attended to by our representatives in Austin and Washington, and I don't know why that is. Personally, I'd like to find out why these issues don't come up (and it isn't a Republican/Democrat thing. Both sides seem to pretty well ignore a good many of these issues). ------------------ Houston Sports Board The Anti-Bud Adams Page
Why does everyone think its the cars?? Sure, they put off their share, but stricter rules need to be directed to the factories, not the cars! ------------------ its all good and fun till someone gets hurt ... then its absolutely hilarious!
Anyone get a quote from Sammy Hagar? ------------------ Ceo of the Walt Williams fan club. Web site coming soon atheistalliance.org
Cars definitely are a leading (if not the leading) cause of CO2 and CO in the air. ------------------ "I am" is reportedly the shortest sentence in the English language. Could it be that "I do" is the longest sentence ?
This is gonna cut my trips to visit my parents in half. I visit them about six times a year currently; it'll be three as soon as these limits go into effect. I'm just too damned used to driving 90 on 290 and the Sam Houston Tollway. You can cut serious time off a trip doing that. If I can't do it, yucko.
55% of emissions are refinery-related. Approximately 10% of emissions are related to industrial equipment including construction, lawn care and railroad machinery. The rest (about 35%) is car related. ------------------ Mmmmmmm. Sacrelicious.
But we've already talked about the need for the State to revisit the pollution laws in terms of industrial output in Texas. Adding the increased automobile standards would still be a good idea, if you ask me, even though it can't be the only pollution control effort. ------------------ Houston Sports Board The Anti-Bud Adams Page
