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The Oil Industry's Covert Campaign To Rewrite American Car Emissions Rules (nytimes.com)

When the Trump administration laid out a plan this year that would eventually allow cars to emit more pollution, automakers, the obvious winners from the proposal, balked. The changes, they said, went too far even for them. But it turns out that there was a hidden beneficiary of the plan that was pushing for the changes all along: the nation's oil industry. From an investigation by The New York Times: In Congress, on Facebook and in statehouses nationwide, Marathon Petroleum, the country's largest refiner, worked with powerful oil-industry groups and a conservative policy network financed by the billionaire industrialist Charles G. Koch to run a stealth campaign to roll back car emissions standards, a New York Times investigation has found. The campaign's main argument for significantly easing fuel efficiency standards -- that the United States is so awash in oil it no longer needs to worry about energy conservation -- clashed with decades of federal energy and environmental policy.

"With oil scarcity no longer a concern," Americans should be given a "choice in vehicles that best fit their needs," read a draft of a letter that Marathon helped to circulate to members of Congress over the summer. Official correspondence later sent to regulators by more than a dozen lawmakers included phrases or sentences from the industry talking points, and the Trump administration's proposed rules incorporate similar logic. The industry had reason to urge the rollback of higher fuel efficiency standards proposed by former President Barack Obama. A quarter of the world's oil is used to power cars, and less-thirsty vehicles mean lower gasoline sales.

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  1. You mean Big Oil has been LYING to us? Holy.. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

    You know, it's one thing for Republicans to lie to our faces about this stuff, fraud and treason etc, but when a trusted business sector like Big Oil lies, that kind of betrayal is truly inexcusable. (Unless well-paid to excuse it, of course.)

  2. Thank You, Oil Industry by djbckr · · Score: 4, Insightful

    You are making a wonderful world for my grandchildren.

    1. Re:Thank You, Oil Industry by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

      Kind of like being an oil apologist on an article about how they lied and manipulated America into something bad for us, for their profit. Grueling and painful to witness someone degrade themselves like you.

    2. Re:Thank You, Oil Industry by b0s0z0ku · · Score: 4, Insightful

      There can be a happy medium. Most ground transport (cars, trains, buses) can be electric from nuclear or renewables. Plastics? Yeah, we need them. But does a tiny electronic device really need to be packed in plastic packaging that's 5x its size? There's a lot of oil usage that can be cut without changing our lives all that much.

    3. Re:Thank You, Oil Industry by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

      How is it degrading stating a fact that life is better because of the oil industry? Do you know that oil is used in 1000's of other products besides gasoline that goes into your car? Are you a caveman?

    4. Re:Thank You, Oil Industry by jeff4747 · · Score: 5, Insightful

      Did you know that time hasn't stopped?

      Also, did you know that unregulated capitalism has some issues, like setting rivers on fire?

    5. Re:Thank You, Oil Industry by Shotgun · · Score: 1

      They aren't the ones buying a driving the cars, or buying the products from China.

      --
      Aah, change is good. -- Rafiki
      Yeah, but it ain't easy. -- Simba
    6. Re:Thank You, Oil Industry by Shotgun · · Score: 1

      Tell me again, who is President and who still controls the Senate?

      --
      Aah, change is good. -- Rafiki
      Yeah, but it ain't easy. -- Simba
    7. Re: Thank You, Oil Industry by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

      The best and quickest SUVs are electrics. Jaguar iPace, Audi eTron, Tesla X, Mercedes EQ, Volvo XC40 for example.

    8. Re: Thank You, Oil Industry by jd · · Score: 2, Insightful

      Oil was useful. Was.

      Now, it has been supplanted, just as bronze was supplanted.

      Nobody needs to die young from a lack of oil today, we use it for nothing that we can't do better, quicker and more cheaply by other means.

      We have the technology. I can't stop America regressing into the Bronze Age, it's just a stupid and unnecessary place to be when they could be in the Information Age. Americans, for the most part, well half of them anyway, are better than that.

      --
      It's a small world and it smells funny; I'd buy another if it wasn't for the money; Take back what I paid (SoM)
    9. Re:Thank You, Oil Industry by b0s0z0ku · · Score: 1

      That's fine. You should be able to, as long as you pay the full price of oil, including cost of future environmental mitigation, the cost of Middle Eastern military operations (oil is a global market, remember?). Better yet, drive an electric SUV and have the best of all worlds. Low oil usage, great acceleration, AND awesome off-road performance with lower complexity -- an electric motor on each wheel means it can drive like a truck with Torsen differentials without the complexity.

    10. Re: Thank You, Oil Industry by jd · · Score: 2

      Penicillin made the world a better place, too, but when you're well you don't take it. Further, now we understand more, we understand it's quite harmful when abused.

      --
      It's a small world and it smells funny; I'd buy another if it wasn't for the money; Take back what I paid (SoM)
    11. Re:Thank You, Oil Industry by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

      How is it degrading stating a fact that life is better because of the oil industry?

      That wasn't what you were doing and you damn well know it.

      What you were doing, was implying that we can either let the oil industry run unchecked or give up oil, when in fact those are not the only two options available to us in order to maintain our current lifestyle.

    12. Re:Thank You, Oil Industry by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

      And how did they lie?

      By claiming that oil scarcity is not a concern? Oil scarcity should always be a concern. Sure, we won't run out tomorrow. But there is a finite amount, and one day we will. Why speed up the process for no other reason than to line the pockets of the already rich?

    13. Re:Thank You, Oil Industry by greythax · · Score: 4, Interesting

      I agree with your post, but would go a step further and challenge even the assumption that we need plastics. The beverage industry was around for like a hundred years before plastic bottles. Food can be happily wrapped with wax paper, and electronics used to be housed in wooden cases. I'm not suggesting that we abandon all plastic, but if we were to regress packaging back to around the time of 1970, we would MASSIVELY reduce the problem.

    14. Re:Thank You, Oil Industry by balbeir · · Score: 1

      Just a matter of time. They are still there due to technicalities, shenanigans and luck but they don't represent the majority.

    15. Re:Thank You, Oil Industry by Rob+Y. · · Score: 4, Insightful

      It's almost as if you want to drive an SUV specifically because 'liberals' don't want you to. You big baby.

      --
      Posted from my Android phone. Oh, I can change this? There, that's better...
    16. Re:Thank You, Oil Industry by djbckr · · Score: 1

      Your grandchildren live in a wonderful world thanks to Oil.

      I realise I'm probably feeding a troll, but here goes...

      I agree that oil is pretty much the one thing that has brought us to the "modern age", but we have - and are continuing to pay the price for the way things are. Interestingly, most of what you point out can be dealt with without using so much oil. I know that we can't just shut off the spigot, but we need to cut back. We're trashing the planet.

    17. Re:Thank You, Oil Industry by fustakrakich · · Score: 1

      like setting rivers on fire?

      Hey! It was *Cold Outside*

      --
      “He’s not deformed, he’s just drunk!”
    18. Re:Thank You, Oil Industry by rtb61 · · Score: 2

      Apparently the happy medium in this case because of greater numbers of electric vehicles that don't pollute, the remaining infernal combustion engines can pollute even more, where the fuckity fucking fuck is the balance in that, that is entirely fucking psychopathically insane.

      --
      Chaos - everything, everywhere, everywhen
    19. Re:Thank You, Oil Industry by Barsteward · · Score: 1

      that may be the history of fossil burning but its reaching a tipping point regarding consequences. Not caring about the potential 2C rise in the future because the current population won't be around is not tenable. Its their grandchildren and their children that will suffer the consequences for the "head in the sand" attitude and not starting to fix the problem now, that is not a great legacy to leave their future families.

      --
      "The hands that help are better far than lips that pray." - Robert Ingersoll (1833-1899)
    20. Re:Thank You, Oil Industry by _Sharp'r_ · · Score: 1

      More people being able to afford products because they use inexpensive plastic rather than more expensive and resource intensive materials isn't a "problem", it's a technological advance.

      --
      The party of stupid and the party of evil get together and do something both stupid and evil, then call it bipartisan.
    21. Re:Thank You, Oil Industry by h33t+l4x0r · · Score: 1

      Pfffft. Smart money takes technicalities, shenanigans and luck over the majority every time.

    22. Re: Thank You, Oil Industry by s122604 · · Score: 1

      Actually oil is incredibly useful, for medicines, chemicals, materials, etc... So useful we shouldn't simply burn-it, or at least strive to burn less of it.

    23. Re: Thank You, Oil Industry by greythax · · Score: 1

      When i was a kid i would collect coke bottles to buy a Coke. They were selling just fine. Besides, cans are still cheaper than plastic bottled Cokes.

    24. Re:Thank You, Oil Industry by jeff4747 · · Score: 1

      Oh, you mean there were occasionally fires on government owned, controlled and heavily regulated rivers?

      So, the reason the river could catch on fire is they were not heavily regulated. Which allowed your brave and noble capitalists to pollute the fuck out of the rivers. To the point where rivers caught on fire.

      It's almost like you're deliberately being clueless about history to serve your ideological goals.

    25. Re:Thank You, Oil Industry by Toshito · · Score: 1

      Most electronic devices could share some generic standard box, and when you want to upgrade it you just replace the board in the same box.

      Take a wifi router for example, who cares how it looks? It could be housed in a square wood box and it would still function. And if it stops working or there are new wifi standards, just swap the circuit board and antennas. It could be plug and play so that anyone can do it.

      --
      Try it! Library of Babel
    26. Re:Thank You, Oil Industry by Toshito · · Score: 1

      I just read that more families are buying SUVs even if the number of children per family hasn't gone up.

      I don't know about the USA but here in Canada there are a lot of separated couples with children. When you are separated and have part-time custody of your childrens, you often end up with a new partner in the same situation.

      So now these 2 parents don't have more than 2 childrens each for example, but they alternate between one week with no children, and one week with 4 childrens. Then you need a vehicle which can hold 6 passengers and their luggage. So you end up with a minivan of an SUV with 3 rows.

      The total number of childrens has not increased, but since a lot of families have share custody of those childrens the consequence is that you have reconstituted families which are bigger one week and smaller the next week.

      Same thing with houses, we need 4 bedrooms and 2 bathrooms even if half the time we're only 2 in the house.

      --
      Try it! Library of Babel
    27. Re: Thank You, Oil Industry by _Sharp'r_ · · Score: 1

      cans are still cheaper than plastic bottled Cokes.

      Where? In a vending machine, for the same amount of product?

      Anywhere I've seen, a big plastic bottle was literally half as expensive per ounce of soda as trying to get cans or glass bottles.

      --
      The party of stupid and the party of evil get together and do something both stupid and evil, then call it bipartisan.
    28. Re: Thank You, Oil Industry by _Sharp'r_ · · Score: 1

      First you'll need to demonstrate some significant harm from microplastics, or even have a theory of how they'd be harmful. The ones that come out the other side, to use your example, have specifically been found to not be harmful in any way.

      --
      The party of stupid and the party of evil get together and do something both stupid and evil, then call it bipartisan.
    29. Re: Thank You, Oil Industry by jd · · Score: 1

      And you're saying none of these have any substitutes developed since? I'm not disputing these are used, I'm disputing the idea nothing has emerged since.

      I'm including polymer chains and plastics developed by synthetic means.

      Like I said, was.

      --
      It's a small world and it smells funny; I'd buy another if it wasn't for the money; Take back what I paid (SoM)
    30. Re: Thank You, Oil Industry by jd · · Score: 1

      You have to exclude any hydrocarbon developed by synthetic means rather than from oil.

      You have to also exclude anything for which a synthetic substitute is now in use, regardlesd of ratio. If there's a newer alternative, by definition there's an alternative that's newer. Tautologies are fun, tautologically speaking.

      You have to exclude products requiring oil for which alternatives exist. So now there's a universal flu vaccine, you can't include a vaccine for specific strains. Although I doubt oil is used there. But you get the idea.

      Oil is convenient. I'm not arguing that. Oil is flexible, I'm not arguing that either.

      I'm arguing only that it's not the latest. Not latest and greatest, just latest. There is much in medicine that uses petroleum products, but that doesn't mean there isn't a substitute, it only means that petroleum products are used now. Not really the same thing.

      Yes, I'm being pedantic. Non-biological methane is chemically no different from biological methane, after all. And yet one is a closed loop and the other isn't.

      --
      It's a small world and it smells funny; I'd buy another if it wasn't for the money; Take back what I paid (SoM)
    31. Re: Thank You, Oil Industry by _Sharp'r_ · · Score: 1

      Repeating a claim isn't demonstrating it. Perhaps you could start with a link to a scientific study which shows the negative harms, if that isn't too much trouble?

      For example, a quick Google search turns up a claim based on a Scient article that Orca's are in danger because of PCBs, which are not microplastics. The article lists the top three threats to their populations and again, no microplastics in the list.

      So where are you getting this information?

      --
      The party of stupid and the party of evil get together and do something both stupid and evil, then call it bipartisan.
  3. Exhaust == Cancer by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

    Air infused with toxic carcinogenic combustion byproducts.

    1. Re:Exhaust == Cancer by bobbied · · Score: 2

      Air infused with toxic carcinogenic combustion byproducts.

      Which combustion byproduct are you thinking is carcinogenic? CO2? H2O? maybe even NOX?

      --
      "File to fit, pound to insert, paint to match" - Aircraft Maintenance 101
    2. Re:Exhaust == Cancer by jeff4747 · · Score: 1
    3. Re:Exhaust == Cancer by OrangeTide · · Score: 1

      Oxygen (O2) ages cells and causes cancer as well. Demanding zero cancer in the world is unreasonable. It is OK to weigh harm and benefits and make an informed choice. The reason we're up in arms about industry lobbyists is they are hiding information from us and making all the choices. We're both under-informed and unable to choose.

      --
      “Common sense is not so common.” — Voltaire
    4. Re:Exhaust == Cancer by bobbied · · Score: 1

      Most of the combustion exhaust components that contribute to SMOG are not cancer causing, at least not directly. I was asking for a specific component in exhaust that was of concern?

      More to the point, the issue isn't really cancer, but other things. And in the USA smog has been greatly reduced since the 70's, and I mean GREATLY. In some cases the problem is becoming more and more caused by natural processes than man made emitters.

      It's been an ignored fact that in the USA we've gone to great strides and made great progress with our air quality issues. Even since the 70's we've improved the environment around our large cities in unprecedented ways and have been very successful doing this.

      --
      "File to fit, pound to insert, paint to match" - Aircraft Maintenance 101
    5. Re: Exhaust == Cancer by jd · · Score: 2

      Nitrates and nitrites are listed as known carcinogens, yes.

      Of course, car fuel has a whole bunch of additives these days and it's not always obvious how carcinogenic those are.

      --
      It's a small world and it smells funny; I'd buy another if it wasn't for the money; Take back what I paid (SoM)
    6. Re: Exhaust == Cancer by jd · · Score: 1

      Combustion will rarely be complete, not enough oxygen. So you'll have lots of CO and other highly reactive byproducts.

      --
      It's a small world and it smells funny; I'd buy another if it wasn't for the money; Take back what I paid (SoM)
    7. Re:Exhaust == Cancer by skullandbones99 · · Score: 1

      Well, the emissions have become smaller and smaller PM over the decades. Therefore, the large particles have been removed but now there are PM 10 and PM 2.5 particles being emitted. The PM 2.5 are small enough to cross from the lungs to the blood stream which is dangerous for human life.

    8. Re:Exhaust == Cancer by bobbied · · Score: 1

      But, which ones cause cancer?

      --
      "File to fit, pound to insert, paint to match" - Aircraft Maintenance 101
    9. Re: Exhaust == Cancer by bobbied · · Score: 1

      And which of those cause cancer?

      CO is not a cancer risk is it? Surely CO2 and H2O are not an issue right?

      BTW, With modern catalytic converters, most of that incomplete combustion and CO emissions are eliminated before they are emitted. Which is pretty much the whole point of that emissions control stuff...

      --
      "File to fit, pound to insert, paint to match" - Aircraft Maintenance 101
    10. Re: Exhaust == Cancer by bobbied · · Score: 1

      So NOx is your main concern?

      Finally, somebody who has a reasonable answer... Yes, but these compounds are already being reduced though the various emissions controls including the catalytic converters in modern vehicles. In fact, GREATLY reduced by these measures, especially in gasoline engines.

      Remember the VW getting caught cheating thing? This was about NOx emissions (among other things). VW had supposedly developed an engine that didn't require the urea injection NOx reduction systems of other diesel makers required. NOx emissions have been the focus of intense regulation since before the 1970's. We've done a great job and made great strides with this.

      --
      "File to fit, pound to insert, paint to match" - Aircraft Maintenance 101
    11. Re:Exhaust == Cancer by dfghjk · · Score: 1

      "Most of the combustion exhaust components that contribute to SMOG are not cancer causing, at least not directly. I was asking for a specific component in exhaust that was of concern?"

      Smog is known to increase cancer risk. The question isn't what "most components" do or even which components might be carcinogenic. One has to wonder why you would challenge such a statement. It doesn't take a majority of combustion waste products to be a problem.

      "More to the point, the issue isn't really cancer, but other things."

      Then why bother commenting on it?

      It would seem you advocate for the idea that what we have is good enough, or perhaps we could stand to make some more smog. If that's not the case, you should rethink your comment strategy.

      You are right that cancer isn't the most important problem to address in this respect, and it is true that this is a common trope. Nevertheless, the more important problems we face could be well addressed with an approach that drives petroleum-powered vehicles to extinction. Win-win. Let electric vehicle advocates have their poorly-considered cancer argument, what they champion will result in better quality of life for all of us even if cancer doesn't get solved as a result.

    12. Re:Exhaust == Cancer by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

      Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons are a result of combustion and cause cancer.

    13. Re: Exhaust == Cancer by jd · · Score: 1

      Any highly reactive compound is a cancer risk.

      I would not consider cancer a particular concern. Brain damage, but not cancer.

      --
      It's a small world and it smells funny; I'd buy another if it wasn't for the money; Take back what I paid (SoM)
  4. Re:You mean Big Oil has been LYING to us? Holy.. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Interesting

    But, but what about "enhancing shareholder value", that is what Milton Friedman and the Chicago School of Economics have taught our business leaders is their ONLY ethical concern.

    Could it be that our entire business educational system has been corrupted by people who do not care if "people" live or die?

    Maybe, Milton Friedman was the real Terminator

  5. Who worries about scarcity? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Informative

    With oil scarcity no longer a concern

    Conveniently omitting to mention pollution and greenhouse gas emissions as remaining concerns.

    1. Re:Who worries about scarcity? by bobbied · · Score: 3, Informative

      With oil scarcity no longer a concern

      Conveniently omitting to mention pollution and greenhouse gas emissions as remaining concerns.

      I would like to point out that this USED to be a question of national security too. Because the nation's infrastructure ran on oil and we used more than we produced, we where at high risk if there where supply disruption, say because of some bad things happening half a world away. So, the initial emission standards and mileage requirements where driven into regulations long before the Climate Change argument was a thing.

      I know a lot of you folks didn't live though the oil embargo's of the 70's, when we got blessed with the 55 MPH speed limits and Jimmy Carter's national regulations that mandated how cold you could set the AC and how hot you could run the heater. I remember waiting in lines to get gas too.

      So environmental concerns where only part of the reason we have the CAFE standards. Some of those reasons don't exist now.

      The question is now that we have one less reason, does that justify relaxing the standards? Maybe, maybe not, but it sure makes it a harder sell to increase the CAFE mileage standards...

      --
      "File to fit, pound to insert, paint to match" - Aircraft Maintenance 101
    2. Re:Who worries about scarcity? by mark-t · · Score: 3, Insightful

      Also conveniently ignoring that there are numerous other things on this earth that were once in great abundance that are now notably vastly reduced, or sometimes gone entirely.

      Or do they really think that every creature that was hunted to the brink of extinction, or even wiped out entirely, was never very populous to begin with?

      Or, hell... let's just talk about clean freshwater. Sure there's a lot of it, but that doesn't mean that it's always going to be there if we keep polluting the hell out of the supply that we have.

    3. Re:Who worries about scarcity? by K.+S.+Kyosuke · · Score: 1

      Also the money you shell out at the pump.

      --
      Ezekiel 23:20
    4. Re: Who worries about scarcity? by jd · · Score: 1

      It's still a matter of national security.

      Nobody buys American cars because they're seen to be unreliable and uneconomic.

      Validating that belief endangers thousands, maybe tens of thousands, of jobs and places America at the mercy of countries the President has seriously upset.

      Yes, that could be considered national security.

      --
      It's a small world and it smells funny; I'd buy another if it wasn't for the money; Take back what I paid (SoM)
    5. Re:Who worries about scarcity? by DavidHumus · · Score: 1

      Don't you worry about clean water - the short-fingered one is on that too: https://www.nytimes.com/2018/1... .

  6. Re:Regulated industry lobbies for own interests by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Interesting

    I'm thinking that you should have referred to it as a "Poorly regulated industry", or "Under regulated industry"

  7. Re:It's not covert, they were over-bearing by Ichijo · · Score: 4, Insightful

    In the end it will not matter as electric car adoption will more than make up for any extra emissions from rolling back the rules.

    If that's true then the rules are not too harsh.

    --
    Any sufficiently unpopular but cohesive argument is indistinguishable from trolling.
  8. Re:It's not covert, they were over-bearing by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

    In the end it will not matter as electric car adoption will more than make up for any extra emissions from rolling back the rules.

    With oil prices dropping, and electric prices rising, I'm not sure who you think will be adopting electric vehicles.

  9. Seems pretty obvious by Lucas123 · · Score: 4, Insightful

    The American auto industry is barely moving forward on EVs -- not that they're the be all to end all, but c'mon. The tech has been around longer than gas-powered vehicles and yet, even with modern lithium-ion batteries, car companies don't offer more than two models each -- most only offer one.

    It's going to take regulation to force their hand; that seems obvious. With the current administration kowtowing to big business, though, we won't be seeing any movement on this for at least another two years.

    1. Re: Seems pretty obvious by kurkosdr · · Score: 1, Interesting

      Be careful what you wish for: Tesla has cut every corner they could with the Model 3 (worker wellbeing, worker safety, fit and finish, repairability and repair affordability), and they still can't make the darn thing at the promised $36.000 price. Which is a high price for a car already. An all-EV future could be a future in you, average middle class person, cannot afford to drive. Which can be fine if you live in New York City or some other densely populated area but not if you live in a rural or exurban area with crap public transportation.

    2. Re: Seems pretty obvious by kurkosdr · · Score: 1

      * in you = in which you

    3. Re: Seems pretty obvious by K.+S.+Kyosuke · · Score: 2

      Actually, the German estimate was a manufacturing cost of $28k total. That doesn't mean it can't go any lower in the future.

      --
      Ezekiel 23:20
    4. Re: Seems pretty obvious by dgatwood · · Score: 1

      Be careful what you wish for: Tesla has cut every corner they could with the Model 3 (worker wellbeing, worker safety, fit and finish, repairability and repair affordability), and they still can't make the darn thing at the promised $36.000 price. Which is a high price for a car already. An all-EV future could be a future in you, average middle class person, cannot afford to drive.

      Or a world in which the middle class demand to be paid better.

      The average price of a new car, according to Experian, is $34,000. So a $36k car is only slightly above the average. Mind you, part of the reason is the crazy number of people buying $100k Teslas, but still....

      --

      Check out my sci-fi/humor trilogy at PatriotsBooks.

    5. Re: Seems pretty obvious by dgatwood · · Score: 1

      For the Model 3, maybe. For an X, even with unlimited free supercharging, compared with a $27k RAV4 hybrid, the break-even point is still at a whopping 730,000 miles.

      --

      Check out my sci-fi/humor trilogy at PatriotsBooks.

    6. Re:Seems pretty obvious by currently_awake · · Score: 1

      Self driving electric cars are going to squish the American car market like a bug on the highway. It'll be like having lots of cheap taxi's everywhere, nobody will need/want to own their own car.

    7. Re:Seems pretty obvious by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

      You keep saying that, and Tesla keeps preaching it, and it keeps not happening. I know there are a bunch of entitled urban millennials who are scared of driving and who's mommies drove them everywhere they need to be, but the trend you see is really just a college hipster religious belief.

    8. Re: Seems pretty obvious by dgatwood · · Score: 1

      At $35k, maybe. Not at $100k.

      Even a non-hybrid SUV still gets 20+ MPH, which is about 15 cents a mile, on average, in the U.S. And even pure synthetic oil will cost less than $100 every 5,000 miles, which still adds less than two cents per mile. So even if you *massively* overestimate the total cost at 20 cents a mile, and even if your electrical power is completely free, it still takes 375,000 miles to cover the $75,000 difference between a Model X and a non-hybrid SUV.

      Add in the extra several hundred dollars per year in vehicle licensing fees from the state of California, which gobble up approximately 100% of the savings in fuel costs, even when you assume that all your charging is free, and you're basically guaranteed to never break even, no matter how long you own the vehicle. (Okay, so we save a $40 smog check every two years after the first three, so we've got that going for us, which is nice, but....)

      There are many reasons to buy a Model X. Saving money is not one of them, no matter how you look at it, unless you're in Europe where gasoline costs $7 per gallon.

      --

      Check out my sci-fi/humor trilogy at PatriotsBooks.

    9. Re: Seems pretty obvious by Jeremi · · Score: 1

      And yet Tesla is selling Model 3s as fast as they can make them, and every other car company is scrambling to follow their lead. It appears Tesla's only mistake (or perhaps it was deliberate?) was to announce a lower price-point than they could immediately sell the product at -- but that doesn't mean they won't ever be able to sell cars at that price.

      Currently most of the cost of an electric car is its battery pack, and battery technology is getting better and cheaper every year. Unless there is some unavoidable physical reason why that trend should halt in the near future, you can expect that improvements in technology (combined with lots of competition and high-volume manufacturing) will continue to bring EV prices down. I'd be very surprised if in ten years EVs are not significantly cheaper to purchase than traditional gas-powered vehicles.

      --


      I don't care if it's 90,000 hectares. That lake was not my doing.
  10. Re:It's not covert, they were over-bearing by CohibaVancouver · · Score: 5, Informative

    And just think of the increased revenue from gas taxes! That ought to soothe any ruffled liberal feathers.

    Hey, gotta cover the shortfall from the Republican's trillion dollars added to the deficit.

  11. Re:Rewriting Immigration/Visa Laws by Seven+Spirals · · Score: 2

    Oh they care... some folks care a lot: The US Chamber of Commerce cares. They want to keep republicrats and democians fighting over a border wall like a bullfighter wants to keep the bull focused on the red cape instead of his crotch. The good folks at The Chamber know that keeps them from debating using E-Verify which would actually work and shut down their free pipeline of cheap labor.

  12. Would not work anyway. by LostMyBeaver · · Score: 3, Insightful

    Consider that automakers would have to make an entirely different set of vehicles for Paris accord countries (like Canada) and the U.S.

    Then consider automakers would have to make different cars for states with strict standards and cars violating those standards would not be allowed in the state as they would not be grandfather claused.

    Then consider that if automakers were to have 6 years to bring new fuel guzzling designs to market before (worst case scenario) Trump leaves office. And since almost universally, republican president = Democrat Congress and vise versa. So, within 6 years, either the executive or the legislative branches will be in opposition to the new regulations.

    So, any car company who would take advantage of this opportunity would be run by idiots with no foresight. This would be corporate suicide. I mean I am sitting here laughing my ass off wondering who would invest years of R&D in a new drive train that would almost certainly be made illegal within weeks of it reaching market and could not be sold or operated in more than a small region.

    Any leasing company willing to back these cars would be criminally incompetent and any banks willing to finance these vehicles would be suicidal.

    I mean, who thinks these things up?

    1. Re:Would not work anyway. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

      The thing is that American automakers seems to have given up on competing. They are shrinking, downsizing and abandoning markets overseas, concentrating on selling vehicles in the US; only there have they enough clout to manipulate a market of misguided ignorants into buying their products and corrupt the political leadership into lowering the bar enough to continue to exist.

      This is needed because they do neither have the competence nor the will to change and apply themselves to the changing realities, which is the basic reason for their decline. The existing American automotive companies will never grow again, but rather milk the markets they can for what they can before they inevitably go belly-up like the dinosaurs they are.

      Change will come, eventually, once the subsides runs out and the governmental coffers are emptied. But that change will come though new companies, like Tesla. Unfortunately, the US vehicle market will continue to be an aberration until then, because of the state of unmitigated myopic greed, ignorance, stupidity and corruption which holds the nation in an iron grip.

    2. Re:Would not work anyway. by thegarbz · · Score: 1

      So, any car company who would take advantage of this opportunity would be run by idiots with no foresight.

      So only General Motors then.

    3. Re:Would not work anyway. by LostMyBeaver · · Score: 1

      I'm not sure. I think by the time the industry begins to adapt, personal vehicles will be phasing out. It will simply be more profitable to either use self-driving ride-shares or to order a vehicle that will deliver itself when needed. As such, I don't see a long term future for auto makers.

      And oh.... Tesla seems to be the only company who understands that when you make a car almost entirely out of plastic with almost no corrosive parts that in theory could stay on the road 30 years with little maintenance, you have to find alternative streams of income than selling new cars... for example... selling upgrades to existing cars.

  13. Re:It's not covert, they were over-bearing by Only+Time+Will+Tell · · Score: 4, Informative

    I am going to call bullshit on this. The proposed regulations were still on a path that was behind China, India, the EU, Japan, Korea, etc. The Obama regulations were still pretty weak compared to the world. Trump has knocked us down from being a C- student to a straight F. Source: https://www.nytimes.com/intera...

  14. Re:It's not covert, they were over-bearing by Ryanrule · · Score: 1

    eat shit and die

  15. Air Pollution is still a Concern by foxalopex · · Score: 5, Interesting

    Even if you don't care about CO2 and global climate change, there's still the localized issue of actual air pollution in cities especially which kills. I drive a plugin electric and notice gas fumes and other nasty things in the air from cars.

    1. Re:Air Pollution is still a Concern by avandesande · · Score: 1

      Cars are so clean now you can't kill yourself with one any more.

      --
      love is just extroverted narcissism
    2. Re:Air Pollution is still a Concern by ishmaelflood · · Score: 1

      That'd be because you can't smell the exhaust from the power station that powers your car.

    3. Re: Air Pollution is still a Concern by HornWumpus · · Score: 1

      It is fun, you get it.

      The insurance industry will have their way with EVs too. 100Ds won't be sold in ten years. Nothing like them will be.

      --
      John McAfee 'It was like that time I hired that Bangkok prostitute; to do my taxes, while I fucked my accountant'
    4. Re: Air Pollution is still a Concern by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

      The power station for my EV is on the roof of my home. Generates tax free power. Already paid for itself, only a 4 year ROI. Next up, battery backup so I can tell the utility to fuck off.

    5. Re:Air Pollution is still a Concern by thegarbz · · Score: 1

      hahaha hahahah ahahahah ahahhahahahahahahahhaha

    6. Re:Air Pollution is still a Concern by Namarrgon · · Score: 1

      Then why does the EPA itself state that the same new emissions standards that Trump's puppet masters now want to roll back will prevent

      * 40,000 premature deaths
      * 34,000 avoided hospitalizations
      * 4.8 million work days lost

      every year?

      --
      Why would anyone engrave "Elbereth"?
  16. -Retard tries hand at logic, fails, news at 11 by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Funny

    "If you are *truly* an environmentalist you wouldn't want to risk further environmental damage from continuing to try and force other people into behaving environmentally responsible"

    -Retard tries hand at logic, fails, news at 11

    1. Re: -Retard tries hand at logic, fails, news at 11 by Seven+Spirals · · Score: 1

      You are a moron, Mr Coward. Take back your Republican detector back to Theftway. It's broken. You partisans just need to kill each other and leave the rest of us in peace. Some of us can think without "The Party" from 1984 telling us what lines to spout.

  17. Oil scarcity by 93+Escort+Wagon · · Score: 4, Informative

    Implying that "oil scarcity" is the reason behind these regulations seems like such an obvious straw man that at first I figured everyone would see through it immediately... but then I realized this letter was targeted at Congress.

    --
    #DeleteChrome
  18. Let them put their money where their mouth is by mark-t · · Score: 1, Insightful

    Call me skeptical, but if the automakers had really balked, they'd simply continue moving towards better and tighter emission control standards exactly as if they *had* been legally required to do so, regardless of any legislation that may be permitting them to implement workable solutions at a cheaper financial cost here and now. I know of no law that *requires* cars to pollute a certain minimum amount, after all.

    1. Re:Let them put their money where their mouth is by mark-t · · Score: 1

      As I said... it would be putting their money where their mouth is.

      That is, what other companies are doing shouldn't matter... if they sell less cars because the competitors who aren't following those guidelines are undercutting them, then so be it.

      Of course, they aren't going to do that... so they aren't actually bitching about the restrictions being lifted as if they cared about the environment as much as they are bitching about how lifting the restrictions makes it harder for them to continue be profitable without completely changing directions from everything that has been talked about so far (which itself may have a significant expense associated with it).

  19. Root cause by OrangeTide · · Score: 5, Insightful

    We have a culture where we tolerate lying when someone is trying to make a quick buck.

    Businesses should tell the truth? Why do you hate capitalism? insert other facetious arguments here, etc

    --
    “Common sense is not so common.” — Voltaire
    1. Re:Root cause by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Insightful

      I think you're being far too selective. Sadly we have a overall culture willing to tell virtually any lie that they think people will believe to get their way. Pro-life nuts will tell you that people are getting abortions for the shear fun of it, Gun control nuts will tell you that your children are in more danger than soldiers in a war zone, "tough on crime" nuts will tell you that everyone who goes to prison is a hardened criminal who will kill you as soon as look at you, etc, etc. We have systemic problem with reasoned discourse in this country, people set their perception of realty based on their gut feeling/instincts/beliefs and then blithely ignore any evidence that contradicts those perceptions no mater how obvious the fallacy.

    2. Re:Root cause by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Informative

      Why do you hate capitalism?

      Because:

      We have a culture where we tolerate lying when someone is trying to make a quick buck.

      Through that culture we've mostly destroyed society. As "quick bucks" becomes more important than saving lives, educating our young, researching new technologies, medicine, and societal improvements, our standard of living, and our relationships with each other.

      Greed is a sin for a reason. Enshrining it as the core defining aspect of our society was a mistake. A mistake we are all paying for constantly.

    3. Re:Root cause by OrangeTide · · Score: 2

      The general shitty behavior of our society isn't new, although the degree waxes and wanes over the decades.

      "Whatsoever therefore is consequent to a time of Warre, where every man is Enemy to every man; the same is consequent to the time, wherein men live without other security, than what their own strength, and their own invention shall furnish them withall. In such condition, there is no place for Industry; because the fruit thereof is uncertain; and consequently no Culture of the Earth; no Navigation, nor use of the commodities that may be imported by Sea; no commodious Building; no Instruments of moving, and removing such things as require much force; no Knowledge of the face of the Earth; no account of Time; no Arts; no Letters; no Society; and which is worst of all, continuall feare, and danger of violent death; And the life of man, solitary, poore, nasty, brutish, and short."

      -- Thomas Hobbes; Leviathan c.1651

      --
      “Common sense is not so common.” — Voltaire
    4. Re:Root cause by filekutter · · Score: 3, Informative

      Capitalism is an economic system that is attempting to insinuate itself into democracy and transform how the country is governed. Period. Capitalism supports the unmitigated accumulation of money. If you insinuate these values into a democratic social system you become a corporate oligarchy. Corporations do not care about people, they care about profits. Period. This is not a system that is good for societies.

      --
      I call computer-illiteracy job security
    5. Re: Root cause by Woeful+Countenance · · Score: 1

      It's actually Edward Bernays

    6. Re: Root cause by maralatho · · Score: 1

      No, they are greed machines with special privileges and protections, and no morals.

  20. Re:Stop worrying about how to force other people by bobbied · · Score: 3, Insightful

    Boy are you going to get it...

    My personal perspective is that we need to work on Fusion reactors for electric power generation. It would produce nearly unlimited power for very little environmental impacts and nearly zero CO2 emissions. All we need is more R&D dollars... We KNOW it can be done, we just haven't fully figured out the engineering to make it happen. Also, why are we not shoving up Nuclear power plants as fast as mini-malls until then....

    I'm guessing that the idea here is to control folks, not actually fix the stated issue, and THAT's why we are not really serious..

    --
    "File to fit, pound to insert, paint to match" - Aircraft Maintenance 101
  21. False choice by OrangeTide · · Score: 5, Insightful

    The choice isn't between oil and no oil. There is a middle ground where we regulate industry, control pollution, and use resources in a way that compensates everyone for the damage it causes. Wild west, zero responsibility bullshit isn't a serious business model even if idiots are serious about defending it.

    --
    “Common sense is not so common.” — Voltaire
    1. Re:False choice by liquid_schwartz · · Score: 1

      The choice isn't between oil and no oil. There is a middle ground where we regulate industry, control pollution, and use resources in a way that compensates everyone for the damage it causes. Wild west, zero responsibility bullshit isn't a serious business model even if idiots are serious about defending it.

      If this compensation is anything like the crazy numbers I hear for reparations and the like then I suspect that you'll get no takers and nothing is solved.

    2. Re:False choice by OrangeTide · · Score: 1, Insightful

      I'm curious how you associate this with Reparations for slavery, or is that an unrelated tangent that happens to be on your mind? OK, I'll bite.

      It would be very easy to work out a simple number for reparations that is mathematically fair, but would require second civil war to enforce. Does that mean that decedents of slaves were never actually wronged? I think it has more to do with money being more important than our cultural ideals of egalitarianism. Says more about us than about the people proposing reparations.

      --
      “Common sense is not so common.” — Voltaire
    3. Re:False choice by jezwel · · Score: 2

      And Marathon tried to push that middle ground in their direction a bit, just like every other industry in the country. What's the problem?

      * Big Oil is shirking responsibility (and costs) for environmental sustainability -> taxpayers become responsible for cleaning up the mess.
      * Marathon has the lobbyist funding to actually make a difference in their favor, taxpayers do not.

    4. Re:False choice by h33t+l4x0r · · Score: 1

      The choice isn't between oil and no oil. There is a middle ground where we regulate industry, control pollution...

      Blah, blah, blah. I say we burn all the oil now, and once we're out, we figure out how to solve the problems we just caused. It's the only way to get you dummies on our side.

    5. Re:False choice by aquacrayfish · · Score: 1

      You're suggesting we set fire to all the oil wells? Sounds a bit drastic, but... eh, I had no holiday plans this year. I'll be right back....

  22. Re: Stop worrying about how to force other people by kurkosdr · · Score: 1, Interesting

    Because there is no better alternative. If you think EVs will drop down to the $20.000 range to be as affordable as ICE cars, you are deluding yourself. And Lithium is already a rising commodity BTW.

  23. Re:Stop worrying about how to force other people by s_p_oneil · · Score: 2

    IMO what doesn't work is half-assed government coercion, like raising the gas mileage requirements for cars, but leaving a loop-hole in there (on purpose) for trucks and SUV's.

    If we didn't have government coercion forcing companies to stop polluting our water whenever they felt like it, most of us probably wouldn't be here today. It sounds like the fresh water in the US, while still somewhat polluted, is a hell of a lot cleaner than it used to be back before the EPA. When it comes to really large corporations, I don't think anything really works except for government coercion. Government wouldn't be forcing them today if they had cleaned up their act willingly in the past.

  24. Re:It's not covert, they were over-bearing by OrangeTide · · Score: 1

    Damn gas tax. Having paved roads is so unnecessary and is part of the liberal agenda of dependency.

    I'll simply use my 4x4 on dirt roads or pay tolls along a beautiful private road system.

    --
    “Common sense is not so common.” — Voltaire
  25. Cowards by Artagel · · Score: 4, Interesting

    Congress does CAFE because they are cowards. A car with higher efficiency can be driven more on the same gas. It does not reduce consumption by existing cars. If you genuinely believe in the cause, the only thing to advocate is taxation of fuel. A tax increase for the social cost of gasoline is something like $3.80 a gallon, more than doubling the current price. C'mon true believes, don't put off saving the planet for decades, bite the bullet and advocate that tax increase.

    1. Re:Cowards by samwichse · · Score: 1

      I do advocate for a tax increase on gasoline/diesel. That's really the right way to do it.

      No politician seems to have the guts to follow through with it, though.

  26. This increased consumer costs by WillAffleckUW · · Score: 1

    Fun fact: if Big Oil hadn't done this, we'd be paying half as much for filling our tanks, and those of us who would have already transitioned to $6000 EVs made in China and Taiwan would be paying between 1/10th and 1/40th as much, plus paying half the maintenance fees.

    You got ripped off big time.

    (caveat: I have invested and owned direct stocks in fossil fuel firms (oil,gas,ethanol,coal,biomass) and in automobile and airplane firms)

    --
    -- Tigger warning: This post may contain tiggers! --
    1. Re:This increased consumer costs by vipvop · · Score: 1

      Was this written by a Markov chain chatbot?

  27. Here's that "tax" word again by ZombieCatInABox · · Score: 1

    It seems to be impossible to read any post expressing a conservative viewpoint without the word "tax" appearing at least once in it.

    Boy, you guys seem to really, really hate taxes, don't you ? In fact, you're beginning to sound like a broken record.

    But still, I'll try to give an answer to your question:

    Why not convince folks to switch to greener tech because it's *better*, rather than trying to ram it down their throats as a tax? The latter has a legacy of 40+ years of failure and division.

    Because the former has a legacy of tens of thousands of years of failure and division. Special interest groups (particularly the filthy rich ones, like the oil industry) will always make sure that fails. Always.

    But I'll agree with you on one thing though: We really should try something new.

    1. Re:Here's that "tax" word again by Seven+Spirals · · Score: 1

      Special interest groups can try, but "better" usually wins in the end. It's true we can talk about stable ancient cultures that didn't develop technology much due to various social reasons (Egypt, China, Zulus, etc...), but there is a very long list of success for the "it just works better". In almost all cases, despite large groups of people decrying the downside and the loss of their job, better tech will win. Printing presses, knitting frames, computers, automobiles, and many other technical inventions nearly completely obsoleted their forgoing technologies over the objections and howls of many. However, I also believe entrenched powers can fight superior tech and win for a lot longer than you'd think was possible. My example there would how the Japanese managed to keep guns out of their country for hundreds of years, despite knowing of them, having some working examples, and possessing the tech to re-create them. So, the question is if the evil fucks who constitute the oil industry have enough power to do that. Chevron bought the patent to large format NiMH batteries to sit on it. So, there is some reason to believe you are right. I just question how long it could actually hold in the face of truly superior technology.

  28. Re:It's not covert, they were over-bearing by fustakrakich · · Score: 3, Insightful

    Nice drive-by there! But the "Obama" standards are trivial to meet. But now we overtly let the industry run the government. Unfortunately it is politically incorrect to place the blame where it belongs. Introspection is not a thing to be discussed in mixed company.

    --
    “He’s not deformed, he’s just drunk!”
  29. Re:I actually agree with this. by b0s0z0ku · · Score: 1

    Copper radiators used to be soldered -- the solder joints leaked or blew out fairly frequently. Dissimilar metal corrosion is a stone bitch. I've also had cars that were still on their original plastic/aluminium radiators at 200,000 miles.

  30. Re: Stop worrying about how to force other people by dgatwood · · Score: 1

    That's just it, though. Lithium is a commodity, and it is not that rare. Its price is set by the countries that mine the stuff, but the only thing preventing new mines from starting up is cost. Until the price hits certain points, some Lithium isn't worth bothering with. The moment it crosses certain thresholds, companies will start mining, and the price will stabilize. It won't go up forever.

    BTW, the reason BEVs cost more is primarily economies of scale. Tesla's battery costs have come down fairly dramatically as their production volume has increased, in spite of rising Lithium prices. At this point, the packs cost somewhere around a third as much per kWh as they did eight years ago.

    --

    Check out my sci-fi/humor trilogy at PatriotsBooks.

  31. TFA seems to be confusing emission and efficiency by Spy+Handler · · Score: 1

    I mean granted, they both start with the letter E, but other than that they are completely different concepts. Even this lunkhead at NYT should've been able to grasp the difference.

    Yes Trump administration sought to reduce the fuel-efficiency requirements. Yes the oil industry lobbied hard for it, more fuel used by people = more money for them. But this is a fuel EFFICIENCY issue. Not emissions. Emission means air pollution. You can have an inefficient car that gets very low miles per gallon, and yet have a very clean tailpipe that does not contribute to smog.

  32. Re: It's not covert, they were over-bearing by jd · · Score: 2

    You understand that in 2010, engineers demonstrated a car capable of carrying two adults, two children and a load of luggage at 100 mph with a fuel efficiency of 100 mpg?

    X-Tracer managed a 205.3 mpg motorcycle carrying a comparable load.

    We could be driving those, today. In eight years, that could have been mainstream.

    Even the European cars, generally twice as economic as American ones, would be an improvement. American cars aren't instigated for poor reliability and high cost, they're not as efficient as anyone else's.

    Worsening that competitiveness won't help.

    --
    It's a small world and it smells funny; I'd buy another if it wasn't for the money; Take back what I paid (SoM)
  33. Re:Stop worrying about how to force other people by Seven+Spirals · · Score: 2

    Hey, if fusion was a reality today, I'd be cheerleading it, too. However, the truth is economical energy-positive fusion is still a pipe dream. It may be humanity's future, but it's simply not viable yet and we need solutions NOW. Flip over and talk about fission reactors... well, that's a completely different problem. The main problem is one that leftists and preppers should *both* understand - when shit hits the fan the badly designed reactors melt down and explode. The superior designs are safer but much more expensive and thus how can we be sure that corporations won't cut corners? Most of our nuclear power is the "melt down and explode" type in the USA and Japan. The more stable reactors they use in France, for example, mostly aren't approved by the NRC in the USA. Stupid yes, but still true.

  34. Re:Regulated industry lobbies for own interests by gtall · · Score: 1

    The point, apparently lost on you, was that the oil companies were pushing the reduced pollution controls, not that a regulated industry lobbies for its own interests.

  35. Re: Stop worrying about how to force other people by Seven+Spirals · · Score: 1

    Maybe so. It's a thought at least. That's how a Libertarian would look at it. Pollution is some corporation externalizing costs onto someone else. The former being one of the main thing Libertarians are against. They should be sued out of existence by the people they hurt, but they've rigged the system to prevent that. If that doesn't work, then the 2nd Amendment might be the only recourse. That's why it's there.

  36. Re:What you say, proves that I am right by currently_awake · · Score: 1

    Because they already spent the money to lower emmisions, and expected to get that money back in car sales. Now their cars will cost more than cars from China that don't have those polution control costs.

  37. Re:It's not covert, they were over-bearing by currently_awake · · Score: 1

    The Republicans are planning on cutting medicare and social security to balance the budget, not more taxes. If anyone talks about tax increases they will eventually suggest raising taxes on the rich, and that must be avoided.

  38. Re:Stop worrying about how to force other people by bobbied · · Score: 2

    Just so it's TOTALY clear... When you say "explode" you are discussing hydrogen explosions which are only possible concerns in very extreme situations in nuclear power plants. Modern designs do NOT suffer from the same issues as the various operating reactors in the USA today.

    The only reason why we don't have modern nuclear reactors in operation here in the USA is because the "environmentalist" lobby has basically made it too expensive. It's not dangerous.

    I remember being a college student during the final phases of licensing for the Sharon Harris plant outside of Raleigh. At the time "equal time" was a rule the media had to practice, so the environmentalists where given free TV Time all over the place. "It's not too late!" was their campaign slogan. I asked one of them to go pull their electric meter if they really where serious, live off the grid, prove you are really concerned.... Needless to say, the lights stayed on at home.

    IF we are serious about climate change and environmental concerns, these folks should be marching at every fossil fueled power plant demanding it be replaced with a nuclear one. They should be demanding dollars for fusion R&D. Where are they?

    --
    "File to fit, pound to insert, paint to match" - Aircraft Maintenance 101
  39. Re: Stop worrying about how to force other people by skullandbones99 · · Score: 1

    Also ICE car production will reduce (such as Ford and GM now no longer making most of their sedans) causing "new" car buyers to wait for a suitable EV to come to market or to buy a second-hand ICE car. Some people predict a short-fall in the number of new cars produced around 2023 when the total number of available new cars reaches a minimum. Also at this point an oil crisis occurs due to an oil glut due to fewer ICE cars being on the road and the oil price collapses.

    You would of thought low oil prices will hit EV sales but it won't because new ICE cars will be rarer than previous years. You might see a temporary boom in getting old ICE cars back on the road.

    Lithium production will increase due to supply and demand economics. But note Lithium is not the main component (by mass) of Lithium ion batteries.

  40. Re:It's not covert, they were over-bearing by dfghjk · · Score: 1

    "In the end it will not matter as electric car adoption will more than make up for any extra emissions from rolling back the rules."

    This is not unlike saying that StuporKendall's idiot takes can be more than made up by his posting volume. Electric car adoption is not a given, rolling back regulations is an effort to thwart it.

    I guess if everyone lowers their standards enough then no one will be disappointed. Here StuporKendall is way out front.

  41. Re:Stop worrying about how to force other people by currently_awake · · Score: 2

    Fusion is dead. Even when they figure out how to make it work, it's going to cost at least 10x what solar or wind costs now and those are still getting cheaper. Fision can't produce power below 25 cents per KWH and it doesn't use massive cryogenically cooled super conducting magnets.

  42. Good Job Trump Administration... I'm being serious by GregMmm · · Score: 1, Insightful

    This is called "balance". President Obama leaned way to the eco side and made rules known to drive industry in a direction. The idea is good, which is better fuel economy, but how it is written would make a number of vehicles unable to be made. There is only so much energy you can pull our of gas. President Trump disagrees with how this should be and is changing it.

    Why do people think it's so horrible. My opinion is the goal set by President Obama were unrealistic and with no avenue to get there, which I also thought was done on purpose. Just the same as his coal power plant requirements, which would have just shut them all down. Ok, good get rid of coal, that'a a good thing, so what is your solid plan to replace them and future growth? Ah, right. Chant Solar, Wind really loud and power will fall from the sky. In other words, no plan. This is the same. That vehicle has to get super great fuel economy. How do we get there? Make non ICE cars, without a plan for infrastructure and how this will cripple the power grid if rolled out without expanding capacity. Oh well.

    There great part is everyone can have an opinion, but I would just like to see a plan. Don't care which president we're talking about.

  43. Re:Stop worrying about how to force other people by Seven+Spirals · · Score: 1

    I believe you about the environmentalist lobby. I know NRC permitting is a bitch and can take decades. However, what about critical mass? No reactors can reach that and cause a thermonuclear explosion? What if the site is abandoned will most plants just sit there and not dump radioactive waste and water into the ground like Fukushima? I want the lights on like anyone and I'd love to see nuclear power solve a bunch of environmental crisis. However, I don't want to do it at the cost of burying my head in the sand and denying that those plants can be very dangerous (especially in a nasty economic breakdown where nobody wants to pay for prevention *or* cleanup). On the other hand I get mighty jealous looking at countries like France having 70% + nuclear power.

  44. Re:It's not covert, they were over-bearing by hey! · · Score: 2

    Harsh? Depends on whose perspective you're taking. As the standards currently stand, many cities such as New York are enjoying air quality that would be unimaginably good thirty years ago.. But there are still a number of cities that aren't there yet, like LA, Pittsburgh, and Indianapolis.

    One of Obama's major policy goals was energy independence. He was very pro-fracking, despite its extreme unpopularity with the Democratic base. He wanted US natural gas exports would to Russian "gas diplomacy" in Europe. Likewise crude petroleum production nearly doubled under his watch, after years of decline. Last year the US became a net exporter of gas and this year, of oil, both facts which President Trump hailed as an accomplishment for his administration, but these things can't be instantly conjured by sheer mojo; or even by Rick Perry's white-hot intellect. It takes years.

    What energy independence that do do with "harsh" emissions standards? All the relatively easy ways of improving ICE emissions are already on every car sold. Further reductions in emissions have to be done by making the car more fuel efficient, or at least by not making them less efficient.

    --
    Post may contain irony: discontinue use if experiencing mood swings, nausea or elevated blood pressure.
  45. Re:Stop worrying about how to force other people by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

    Boy are you going to get it...

    My personal perspective is that we need to work on Fusion reactors for electric power generation. It would produce nearly unlimited power for very little environmental impacts and nearly zero CO2 emissions. All we need is more R&D dollars... We KNOW it can be done, we just haven't fully figured out the engineering to make it happen. Also, why are we not shoving up Nuclear power plants as fast as mini-malls until then....

    Even when fusion becomes viable, we will still want (liquid) fission plants to produce medical isotopes and other useful materials, like Pu-238 for RTGs, Gd for neutron imaging, tritium for fusion, etc. They are also the most effective way to permanently dispose of stockpiles of spent nuclear fuel, and produce tremendous amounts of energy in the process.

    I'm guessing that the idea here is to control folks, not actually fix the stated issue, and THAT's why we are not really serious..

    This may be the core reason why nuclear power is not encouraged by those in power, and why the World Bank will not help finance nuclear projects. Abundant and affordable nuclear energy promises to eliminate scarcity, and allow even small countries to become completely self-sufficient in time. This is incompatible with aspirations of global hegemony. Renewables pose no threat; they will not strand fossil resources, will constrain energy supply, and will foster large and interdependent energy systems, which do not allow true independence. Policy will be enforceable by threat of disconnection from the super-grid, which is crucial for actually making use of collected energy.

  46. Gov't, Regulation, Commissions and AGW by ElitistWhiner · · Score: 1

    ALL designed to facilitate commerce - except AGW. That bitch be an equal opportunity hottie. AGW will disrupt ALL.

    You and me alone can't stop AGW but sure as hell the collective WE can stop commerce that feeds it. Money matters; its all that matters. Spend unwise, waste your life - waste a planet; Woke, spend wisely, stop AGWcommerce save a planet - save a life.

  47. Re:It's not covert, they were over-bearing by hey! · · Score: 2

    Well, China's a special case; China has a tendency to write strict sounding but vague laws, then enforce those laws in what *appears* to be a very spotty way. This is, in fact, how the party exerts control over people while adopting a progressive sounding posture. Everyone's guilty of something, so people keep away from things that will seriously antagonize the party. The party doesn't need to install zampolits everywhere like the Soviets did; uncertainty makes people into their own political commissars.

    But China aside, there are no such things as "American car companies" anymore. Letting car companies sell dirty, primitive junk here in the US might help some, but they're still stuck selling better cars overseas. And they probably don't have much faith in the staying power of the more over-the-top deregulation.

    --
    Post may contain irony: discontinue use if experiencing mood swings, nausea or elevated blood pressure.
  48. Re:It's not covert, they were over-bearing by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

    Every other country was straight up cheating. The Obama and Paris regulations are not achievable in a comfortable 5 passenger sedan with modern safety standards. Physics is a bitch and she wins.

  49. Re: Stop worrying about how to force other people by Seven+Spirals · · Score: 1

    Spoken like a true fascist. If coercion worked sometime somewhere _ever_ then just use a lot more coercion! For someone who goes around anonymously calling people ignorant, you don't seem very bright yourself. Forcing individuals to change their unenlightened ways while shaking your finger in their face has worked oh so well *sarcastic smirk*. That's why we have > 400PPM CO2 in the air right this very minute, Mr Coward. The French just had weeks of rioting at least partially related to environmental policy being overbearing. So, I'd say your strategy of being an overbearing judgemental asshole has a very shitty track record in light of that FACT.

  50. Re:Instantly debunked shit from a known faggot, ne by liquid_schwartz · · Score: 2

    "A middle class was not possible until the energy freedom that oil provided" Instantly debunked bullshit, next?

    It was so instant that I missed your evidence that debunked it.

  51. Re:Stop worrying about how to force other people by bobbied · · Score: 2

    There are different forms of critical mass, nuclear reactors do not have the ability to cause a nuclear explosion as they are NOT prompt critical, but moderated critical.

    In order to cause a nuclear explosion you have to have a critical mass that is prompt critical, where unmoderated neutrons can sustain the chain reaction. This requires a very fast assembly of the critical mass, because you need to get the device prompt critical before it disassembles itself from the heat of being moderated critical, where moderated neutrons, ones that have been slowed down either by distance or by hitting something sustain the chain reaction.

    So, like the pulsar reactor I got to see once, you can actually pull out all the control rods and it will not detonate in a nuclear explosion. The pulsar reactor would actually pulse to a very high power level for a very short period of time and cycle up and down rapidly, but wouldn't explode. A power reactor who's control rods got fully removed would produce a LOT of heat, but as the temperature and pressure went up it would vent water/steam and once the steam bubbles started to form in the reactor core, the nuclear reaction would be inhibited, with less and less moderated neutrons being available. Problem is, for most boiling water reactors, that the decay heat would far exceed the core structure's ability to stay in place, it melts and bad things start happening. You get steam explosions or should the cladding on the fuel rods get hot enough, it starts to break down, producing hydrogen gas from the water and such to get you a chemical explosion if it ignites for some reason.

    So no, nuclear plats will not ever produce a thermal nuclear (or just plain nuclear) explosion...It's physically impossible.

    --
    "File to fit, pound to insert, paint to match" - Aircraft Maintenance 101
  52. Re:Stop worrying about how to force other people by Seven+Spirals · · Score: 1

    Thanks for explaining that so clearly. I'd mod you up if I could.

  53. Koch brothers need investigation by TJHook3r · · Score: 1

    Guardian - George Monbiot. Great article on the puppeteers that rewrite the rules as they wish.

  54. Delusion? Let's look at some numbers by virtig01 · · Score: 1

    The average selling price of a new car in the US is $35k. A new Nissan Leaf is going for $31k (local dealer, before incentives or tax credits). So you can already get an EV at a lower price than the average new car. ICE cars have been increasing in price; EVs have been decreasing.

    Once there are enough EVs on the road, battery replacements will become commonplace, and prices of used EVs will become very affordable.

  55. Re:It's not covert, they were over-bearing by CohibaVancouver · · Score: 1

    This is what liberal morons (redundant, I know) actually believe!

    Yep - That's because we live in a world of FACTS as opposed to Conservative Fantasyland where facts don't matter.

    https://www.foxbusiness.com/ma...

  56. Re:Orange Tide Bad! by OrangeTide · · Score: 1

    Road tax revenue does not have to come from a tax on any particular fuel and you damned well know that, ya deceptive cunt.

    Voters ought to get pissed if the government uses road tax for something other than roads.

    Now fuel tax can be used for lots of things, today a big part of it is roads. It sure is nice to drive over a bridge instead of fording several creeks every day. Could conceivably come from property tax or general fund. Which will be helpful in the future when few people are buying gas. Until then electric car owners get to skip out on an important tax.

    --
    “Common sense is not so common.” — Voltaire
  57. Re:It's not covert, they were over-bearing by couchslug · · Score: 1

    "But now we overtly let the industry run the government."

    Think of it as cutting out the middleman.

    --
    "This post is an artistic work of fiction and falsehood. Only a fool would take anything posted here as fact."
  58. Re:Instantly debunked shit from a known faggot, ne by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

    No, he's right, a middle class was made possible first by coal.

  59. National Security by edi_guy · · Score: 1

    A case could be made that the US should restrict exploration and production domestically, as well as keep progressing with auto efficiency standards. The list of oil producers after the US is pretty consistent with a list of our adversaries. Why not use their oil in the present, and leave ours in the ground for the years when oil begins to become more scarce?

    Ideally we would be looking out for the long term well being of the United States of America which is why whether it's Facebook or Marathon Oil, we should not, cannot, let corporations dictate governmental policy. Corporations goals are geared towards the short term wealth of a very few people, and do not have the long term interests of the nation at heart.

    02 Russia
    03 Saudi Arabia
    04 Iraq
    05 Iran
    06 China
    02 Russia
    03 Saudi Arabia
    04 Iraq
    05 Iran
    06 China ...
    11 Venezuela
    13 Nigeria
    14 Angola

  60. Re:You mean Big Oil has been LYING to us? Holy.. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

    Seems like Meckling and Jensen were more into corporate structure and executive compensation, respectively. Meckling fawned over the greater perfection of the Corporation over any individual or small group of experts, and Jensen won a Nobel Prize for his theories on "financial economics" even though he is best known for promoting tying executive compensation to stock valuations via stock options.

    So, yeah the have all played a role, but the redefinition of business ethics by Friedman enables these incredibly powerful and self-centered organisations that Meckling and Jensen defined to become incredibly dangerous, if not innately sociopathic.

  61. Re:What you say, proves that I am right by fustakrakich · · Score: 1

    they have bought a little too deeply into the kool-aid that emissions in the U.S. must be reduced, while ignoring what the rest of the world is doing.

    So, you advocate *Monkey see, monkey do*? Funny, I never took you for the type that says imitating bad behavior is ok. But I guess, if there's money to be made...

    the real collusion is auto-makers trying to hamstring competition by crafting regulations that newer companies cannot follow

    Yes, why do we let them do that? Never mnd. Rhetorical question...

    --
    “He’s not deformed, he’s just drunk!”
  62. This is good for the environment by FeelGood314 · · Score: 1

    When we increased the efficiency of burning coal guess what, we used more. That can be said about a huge number of other things we consume. As we increase the efficiency the usefulness tends to increase significantly faster that the efficiency gain. So we have more efficient engines now, the result has been moving from driving a car to an SUV. Then we drive the SUV even further. If the ICE cars become less efficient then the cost advantage of electric cars will actually increase to the point no one will buy a new ICE car.

    This is so stupid for the oil industry to push it's either fake news or the oil industry has really lost anyone who has half a brain and all that's left is stupid psychopaths.

  63. 1:14 by NewYork · · Score: 1

    One part of Gasoline requires 14 parts of Oxygen
    https://jacoboneal.com/car-eng...

  64. Re:It's not covert, they were over-bearing by thegarbz · · Score: 1

    then enforce those laws in what *appears* to be a very spotty way.

    Yes thats exactly how they ended up getting mass reductions on horrendously dirty bikes in major cities /sarcasm.

    If you think China is some spotty ignoring country that is all about talk and no action then all you're really saying is "I haven't been to China more than once and a haven't seen the massive changes over the past 20 years, but I feel qualified to comment anyway."

  65. Re:It's not covert, they were over-bearing by aquacrayfish · · Score: 1

    I'm not sure if this is more Informative or Funny (for using Fox as the link). One of the few times I'm glad I don't have mod points to spend here - not ready for tough decisions today.

  66. Re: It's not covert, they were over-bearing by aquacrayfish · · Score: 1

    Or, you could simply use another unknown technology, Google, type in 'x-tracer 100 mpg' and get a whole host of links at your disposal, like this one.

    Lazy, much?

  67. Re: It's not covert, they were over-bearing by jd · · Score: 1
    --
    It's a small world and it smells funny; I'd buy another if it wasn't for the money; Take back what I paid (SoM)
  68. Re: It's not covert, they were over-bearing by jd · · Score: 1

    http://edison2.com/the-x-prize...
    https://auto.xprize.org/prizes...
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?...

    Few more links for the collection.

    Gratifying to know AC thinks I own Progressive Insurance and Edison2.

    --
    It's a small world and it smells funny; I'd buy another if it wasn't for the money; Take back what I paid (SoM)