According to the Detroit News, the Environmental Protection Agency has taken a likely step towards stricter emissions standards, as it has asked the White House Office of Management and Budget to declare greenhouse gas a public danger. California, along with several other states, is looking to enact tough new CO2 laws that will drastically limit the emissions of new cars and trucks. Automakers are against the idea, as they argue that the technology isn't currently available in large scale to meet the proposed targets, let alone while the industry is cash poor. The Obama administration wants Congress to take swift action to regulate CO2 emissions, a move that could cost automakers ranging from Ford and GM to Honda and Toyota billions of dollars.
U.S. Chamber of Commerce Vice President William Kovacs says the California plan "could damage automakers." Kovacs points out that GM and Chrysler are already receiving federal loans to stay afloat, the sunshine state wants to "put more holes" into the sinking ships. If California does win the right to demand stricter CO2 standards, it will be interesting to see if the regulations involve pollutants outside the auto industry. In 2006, cars, trucks, and big rigs only account for 24% of our nation's greenhouse pollution and 4% of the world's overall.