BESTers

What David Guest did not say in his article is that the Florida Chamber and
evironmental advocates have engaged in the first major battle of Florida's
Climate War; Gov. Crist's proposal to follow the California model for
reducing greenhouse gas emissions from automobiles.

 

Efficient cars alone will not meet the greenhouse gas reduction goals
established by Gov. Crist. More efficient vehicles are important, but only
one piece of the puzzle; life-cycle emissions from energy sources and motor
fuels are also critical variables. To achieve climate action goals Florida
must implement policy that motivates investment and widespread use of BOTH
more efficient vehicles AND affordable low-carbon motor fuels.

 

This can be done with available energy resources and engine technologies;
meeting these goals are NOT technical problems. Solutions using available
technology can be quickly and efficiently deployed. However, deployment
require CHANGES in policy that drives investments in our motor fuel
infrastructures; solving this problem requires investment in well planned,
integrated energy systems that make the most efficient use possible of our
low-carbon energy sources TODAY so that zero-carbon energy carriers will
power our transportation and buildings TOMORROW.

 

Efficiency is one-leg of a three-legged policy platform; sustainable energy
sources and low-carbon / zero-carbon energy carriers (aka fuels) are the
other two legs of a comprehensive energy policy platform.

 

The fastest and most cost-effective approach is to harness market forces
with government policy founded on compliance with a comprehensive set of
performance criteria that will stimulate investment in greener integrated
energy systems. The Florida Environmental Regulation Commission can
jump-start this process by creating a comprehensive list of environmental
and economic performance criteria for motor fuels and vehicles that clearly
define the public interest. Consumers and government will then be able to
use appropriate and relevant metrics to guide purchasing decisions.

 

Adoption of policy based on comprehensive performance criteria will
stimulate investment in real solutions, not just band aides. Appropriate
performance criteria will drive investment into integrated energy systems
that will make the most efficient use possible of all available energy
sources, low-carbon fuels and more efficient technologies to power all our
motor vehicles and buildings. These criteria should not specify fuels or
te4chnologies or attempt to pick winners or losers, per se; these criteria
should be performance based and should clearly establish objectives, goals
and metrics (aka performance criteria) for measuring progress towards
meeting ALL relevant policy goals.

 

Florida must deploy BOTH more efficient vehicles and cleaner, safer more
efficient alternative fuel infrastructures. Only when BOTH are deployed will
it be possible for consumers to make better choices.

 

Personally I believe consumers are ready to choose the cleanest, safest
motor fuels and vehicles - but they will only do so if these fuels are
affordable and readily available.

 

For example, compressed natural gas is a cleaner, safer, more efficient and
affordable motor fuel that also creates multiple commercial pathways to
immediate deployment and use of two zero-carbon energy carriers, renewable
electricity and hydrogen, that are essential to achieving greenhouse gas
reduction goals. Low-carbon and renewable energy sources must be used with
integrated energy systems to power all our motor vehicles and buildings.

 

Dave bruderly

 

http://www.miamiherald.com/opinion/other-views/story/790523.html

Miami Herald

Friday, Nov 28, 2008

ENERGY

 

Efficient cars in Florida

BY DAVID GUEST

www.earthjustice.org 

 

On Tuesday, Florida has the chance to take a major step forward toward
energy independence. That's the day the Florida Environmental Regulation
Commission votes on Gov. Charlie Crist's common-sense proposal to make cars
run cleaner.

 

Most people know by now that the pollution coming out of car tailpipes is
one of the main culprits in global warming. And when it comes to global
warming, Floridians are more vulnerable to both rising sea levels and more
powerful hurricanes. It makes sense for us to do something about this sooner
rather than later. The governor's proposal gets to the heart of the matter
by creating incentives for more-efficient cars.

 

The new standards would require a 23 percent cut in heat-trapping emissions
from new cars by 2012 and a 30 percent cut by 2016. Since 40 percent of
Florida's carbon dioxide emissions come from passenger cars and light
trucks, working to cut emissions from tailpipes is an important place to
start. Under Crist's proposal, individual vehicles would not have to meet
the standard. Instead, the standard is an average of all cars sold in the
state. Some vehicles -- such as those used for emergency services or for the
military -- would be exempt from efficiency requirements. 

 

No doubt there will be belly-aching from the high-priced Florida lobbyists
for the automobile industry. We've heard it before, when they fought safety
improvements like seat belts and air bags. Instead of improving technology,
they've clung to old models, and I think we can all see where it's gotten
them now.

 

If the public demands cleaner cars, automobile manufacturers will build
them; it's as simple as that. Crist's proposal is modeled after California's
existing clean-air standards. Twelve other states have adopted the
standards, and another six, including Florida, are considering doing so.

 

Automobile industry lobbyists have been running around the state trying to
scare Florida consumers. They falsely claim that requiring cleaner cars will
raise the price of a vehicle by $4,000. An economic analysis by the Florida
Department of Environmental Protection estimates that cleaner technology
will initially add $100 to $700 to the cost of a new car, depending on the
make and model. That cost is offset, however, because cleaner cars run more
efficiently and use less gas. Over the lifetime of their cars, drivers will
see a net savings of $1,000 to $2,300 per vehicle, the DEP estimates.

 

Pulitzer Prize-winning New York Times columnist Thomas Friedman has written
a new book called Hot, Flat and Crowded: Why We Need a Green Revolution --
And How It Can Renew America. Friedman's premise is that our last Industrial
Revolution was Information Technology -- computers and the Internet. He says
we are on the eve of the next step: the Energy Technology revolution. The
country that dominates it will be the healthiest and most secure on the
planet. Crist is wisely positioning Florida as a leader in America's Energy
Technology revolution.

 

Floridians are ready for more-efficient and cleaner vehicles, and Crist has
found a common-sense way to make that happen. After the Environmental
Regulation Commission votes, the proposal will be considered by the Florida
Legislature. Let's let our leaders know that we're ready for cleaner cars in
Florida.

 

David Guest of Tallahassee is managing attorney for the Florida office of
Earthjustice, a nonprofit organization dedicated to enforcing and
strengthening environmental laws. 

 

 

David E. Bruderly PE

Clean Power Engineering

920 SW 57th Drive

Gainesville FL 32607-3838

352-377-0932