|
|
|
In his recent State of the Union address, President Bush declared that the United States isaddicted to oil. Lots of people thought that signaled a new push by the Bush administration to address the issues of how were going to keep the lights on and the cars rolling in the 21st century. Unfortuantely, those hopes largely fizzled after the speech when no new initiative or programs were actually put into motion. Many state lawmakers, impatient with the federal governments slow to non-existent response to our addiction to oil, have begun to take things into their own hands. State lawmakers, many from so-called Democratic blue states, have started passing regulations for power plant and car emissions. Theyre also requiring some energy to be created by renewable techniques such as wind and solar. Energy efficiency requirements for household appliances are also being discussed. So far, the federal government has been happy to let the state legislatures pick up the slack on environmental concerns. I dont see anything wrong with the states being involved, commented Senator Pete Domenici (R-N.M.), who is currently chairman of the federal Energy and Natural Resources Committee. While some argue that state regulations will not have an impact nationally on greenhouse gas emissions, others say that if the requirements are enacted in enough states there will be a significant impact. And is looks like states ARE having an impact, even if global warming hasnt come to a screeching halt. Several manufacturers have adopted new nationwide regulations to avoid having to customize products for each state. If we cant get the federal government to act, then we have to take action in any way we can, said Gina McCarthy, the commissioner of the Department of Environmental Protection in Connecticut. Lets just hope all this boils down to better prices for consumers. |
加入最爱