Interesting article and on the right track, but Mr. Douglas, you need to write a follow-up after looking into Bush’s May 2001 “National Energy Policy” [ www.wtrg.com/EnergyReport/National-Energy-Policy.pdf ] and the methodology (and politics) of the EPA’s mileage calculation. Then ask yourself why the government should keep track of mileage let alone regulate it.
When Bush focused all his energies on the War on Terror, there was no time or political capital left for his pre 9/11 agenda. The sort of energy policy you call for was jettisoned along with his “Ownership Society” agenda (which, by the way, would have done for Americans’ investiture in free markets what Pres. Obama’s “stimulus” will do for our dependence on socialism). Time will tell if Bush deserves credit for sacrificing everything else in his effort to prevent another attack or if he deserves scorn for giving up on opportunities to promote policies that he was interested in before 9/11.
Regarding EPA mileage rules: I can get 37 mpg from my 2001 Oldsmobile Intrigue if I set the cruise to 55 mph – why shouldn’t Detroit be credited with meeting 2020 requirements today”; GM is already trying to influence the mpg rating of the Chevy Volt to favor their total CAFE – why shouldn’t it be set at 400 mpg if 75% of all drivers go less than 40 miles in a day will burn no gas? (Presumably the proportion willing to pay twice the going rate for a compact car to get 40 miles of gas-free battery-powered driving each day will be higher.)
By the way, human CO2 emissions are irrelevant to the climate and the supply of fossil fuel is essentially limitless (especially if we allow for the equivalent of $75/barrel and use nuclear power.)
