California Enacts Nation's First "Greenhouse" Emissions Law

In a blow to California auto enthusiasts, particularly those fond of light trucks and SUVs, California Governor Gray Davis signed into law a bill (A.B.1493) to regulate "greenhouse" gases (GHG), including carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions from motor vehicles. While the new law eliminates some California vehicle owner concerns by preventing regulators from reducing speed limits, restricting vehicle size or imposing new taxes or fees in order to meet new GHG standards, in actuality it is little more than a back-door effort by environmentalists to set fuel-economy standards.

"CO2 is given off whenever gasoline is burned, therefore the only way to cut emissions is to make vehicles that burn less gasoline," said SEMA Director of Government Affairs Steve McDonald. "Ultimately, this new law constitutes an illegal state effort to regulate fuel economy, a strict Federal government prerogative addressed through national Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE) standards."

If left unchallenged, California's new GHG law could easily result in the downsizing or underpowering of popular performance cars, light trucks and SUVs despite consumer demand for better-performing, larger and more utilitarian vehicles. Further, this law could even potentially limit the sale and use of specialty automotive parts designed to increase vehicle horsepower and performance simply because they may increase GHG emissions.

"Even worse," noted SEMA Director of Public Affairs Brian Caudill, "absent a clear legal decision that this new law violates federal authority, other states may opt to follow California's misguided effort and begin setting their own unreasonable GHG emissions rules."

SEMA understands that the major automakers are filing suit to strike down this California law, and we fully support these efforts


Feds May Look to Regulate HID, Auxiliary Lighting

According to published reports, regulators at the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) are developing plans to deal with increasing complaints on vehicle lighting related matters. Among the topics NHTSA is looking to address: perceived glare problems associated with high intensity discharge headlamps (HIDs)-often referred to as "blue-tinted" headlights-found on high-end sports and luxury cars; HID knock-off lighting that approximates the look of HID lighting, but violates Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards; and concerns about higher-mounted headlamps and auxiliary lighting used on SUVs and pickups to improve foul weather and nighttime driving vision.

Last year, NHTSA sought public comment on these lighting issues due to increasing complaints from glare-sensitive, older drivers. SEMA's comments to NHTSA noted that the specialty aftermarket remains dedicated to encouraging compliance with existing federal and state lighting standards. SEMA further argued that technological advances in lighting over the years-from halogen lighting and HID headlamps to auxiliary driving and fog lamps-has drastically improved driving vision and safety.

SEMA has supplied NHTSA with a comprehensive list of recommendations relative to safe and legal lighting equipment (see below) and pledges to work closely with NHTSA to make sure that any proposed new regulation remains fair to the custom lighting industry and consumers. NHTSA intends to propose the new rules my mid-2003.

SEMA's Lighting Recommendations

NHTSA Should....

* encourage cutting edge technology, such as HID lamps, that comply with federal standards while producing more light and an increased field of view.

* not further regulate front mounted lamps nor regulate optional lighting equipment without evidence that proves that these lamps are a significant safety hazard.

* encourage states to focus enforcement on correcting misaimed lamps.

* encourage local law enforcement to uphold current laws restricting conditions when fog lamp/auxiliary lamp use is allowed, if restrictions are based on proven safety concerns.

* draw a distinction between legal and illegal lighting, not OEM and aftermarket lighting, since many aftermarket products, such as fog lamps, are not prohibited by law.

* work with the lighting industry to develop a "street-enforceable" means to distinguish legal lamps from illegal lamps based on performance criteria, not design specifications.

What are y'all takes, do you think this is a good compromise solution, or are we regressing intoa dictated state of autmotive engineering. This sorta stuff scares me. The cars that are produced are one thing but to some extent I can even modify my own car according too some of these laws.

Laws... can't live with 'em, can't live without 'em.
Good compromise though.

[ September 07, 2002: Message edited by: Croz ]</p>

California- granola land-home of flakes,fruits,&nuts
Jack

First we had Brown rot now we have Gray out. Kalifornia, what a Kountry!

I think every bad law we have, with respect to autos, in this country started in California. I think we should just blow that state right into the Pacific Ocean.

Dmorris; Good idea 'cept there goes 70% of your hi tech manufacturing, 45% of your fruit and vegetable production, 40% of your oil. After all, Kalifornia is still the 7th largest nation in the world even with all the Marxist, hate America government we have.

Maybe we should just control our borders to keep out ILLEGAL aliens and start rebelling (in the voting booth - I know how redneck the crowd is on this site! Put your guns down boys and girls. For a while anyway)against the Marxists who are taking over the whole Kountry, Not just Kalifornia.

Damn those marx's. Where do they live? I will personally drag them out of there house and bet them. I'm sure a few of you wouldn't mind a little rod run, with the added bonus of getting to maken a drunken fool out of yourself. I know MS and HK would prob be up for it. You guys bring the whiskey, I'll grab a sixer of PBR. <img src="graemlins/drunk.gif" border="0" alt="[drunk]" />

Ah, I never liked fruits and vegetables anyway! And I already have enough high tech to last a lifetime. BLOW IT AWAY!

i got a much better idea... eliminate all the polititians in the state, kill thier kids, wives, and entire genetic line. clone the government in texas. send them to california. let the texans run california. then, when it is time for elections, only let the texan clones' offsring run. or, just have all of california be a part of texas and cities answering to texas state government. Could be altered for oklahoma's officials. Hell, we don't even have vehicle inspections anymore... Oklahoma seems to have very loose vehicular restrictions, so lets go with oklahoma....

although, you say these laws are against federal policy huh? This could turn into another civil war. State gov't power vs Fed gov't power was a major factor of the civil war, so who knows.... oh well, i might just move to Canada if thier restrictions are loose enough to allow me to rod out my car.

OOOWWWEEEE!!!!You hit a nerve! I'll be nice seeing how this is Sunday before church.
Simple. I am Dutch. My grandparents came to America and adapted to thier ways of life and culture while holding onto a strong thread to thier heritage. This being said, why in the name of .....ahh...do my kids need to learn Spanish? Why are the hospital signs in Spanish? Why do immigrants get tax breaks on businesses? The rag heads send the money home to bring over more rag heads!
Looks like I'm going have to spend a little more in prayer time today. <img src="graemlins/evil.gif" border="0" alt="[evil]" /> <img src="graemlins/nono.gif" border="0" alt="[nono]" />

Amen to that MS.

i have often wondered why the hell anything is in spanish... to be a legal citizen, it is my understanding you have to speak english, so why do we accomidate for the people that don't? If you don't wanna learn english, then you don't wanna be an american too darn bad anyway. Speaking english is the american way!

No offense to anyone here but the issue of language and cultue is a very stong one to many peole. For the sake of us all being "fiends" can we try to limit the discussion a little. The same goes for the rice posts, lets leave the mud-slingging to the media. We are all friends here no matter background, education, IQ so lets keep the off topic politics to min., ok.

i thought i was agreeing with him....