Jerry Brown and greenhouse gases

California Attorney General Jerry Brown is asking the six largest U.S. and Japanese automakers to settle a lawsuit in which the state seeks millions of dollars in damages caused by vehicle emissions of greenhouse gases. According to the Associated Press:The L.A. Taxicab Commission meets today to discuss the problem of bandit taxis and a new enforcement effort.

Brown scheduled a news conference Thursday in San Francisco to release details. On Wednesday, he sent a letter to attorneys representing the automakers, asking to meet personally with the chief executives of General Motors, Ford, Chrysler, Toyota, Honda and Nissan. "As I review the litigation and learn more about the disputes, I am struck by the need for California and the automakers to work together to address the profound environmental challenges posed by global warming," Brown said in letters to each of the automakers’ attorneys. Brown, a former governor who won the attorney general’s race in November, wants to meet with the executives "to discuss resolution of our pending litigation and (move) forward cooperatively." Former attorney general Bill Lockyer, now California’s treasurer, sued the companies in September in U.S. District Court in Oakland. Lockyer said he wanted to hold the auto industry accountable for what scientists say is their contribution to climate change. California is the world’s 12th largest producer of greenhouse gases, and more of those emissions come from vehicles than any other source.

Comments

[Frances Mathews]

To fight global warming, we need all changes, and soon. We need higher fuel standards and/or a substantial carbon tax. We desparately need more public transportation. And we need more people to use public transportation. Perhaps this would happen if it were free. To raise fares as is now advocated is definitely counterproductive. Those who are simply demanding better and bigger roads are not facing reality. It is simply not possible to build enough roads to accommodate more and more cars and more and more people without decimating both the LA basin and, eventually, the entire world through global warming.

[Fred Singer]

The key to a successful energy/environmental policy is to keep it simple.

Put a tax on fossil fuels then step back and let market forces respond; consumers and businesses will reduce consumption and seek out new technologies.

Don't try to micromanage the process with regulations, alternative fuel subsidies...or silly lawsuits. Fuel economy rules for cars pushed families into SUVs. Ethanol is all about farm state politics.

Use the fuel tax revenue to cut other taxes--not for pork barrel "energy research".

[AL WHELCHEL]

I have lived in Southern California since 1935. I have seen the RED CAR replaced by freeways. I have heard from the early 50"s about a monorail system from Orange County to Los angeles. When Tom Bradly was Mayor, he made the statement years ago, if we had taken the monies spent on evaluation, studies and proposals for a monoroal system we COULD HAVE BUILT THE SYSTEM. Here we are today still spending money on studies.

AL WHELCHEL