Cash For Clunkers Is Not Working - It Has Not Stopped Climate Change

[TomCADem]

This reminds me of the John McCain gimmick of handing out tire pressure guages and saying that the items were Obama's energy policy. You have to love the "liberal" media's effort to find the gray cloud for each silver lining. Heck, why don't we just abolish fuel efficiency standards, since they alone are not sufficient to stop climate change?

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/32290028/ns/us_news-environment/

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WASHINGTON - "Cash for clunkers" could have the same effect on global warming pollution as shutting down the entire country — every automobile, every factory, every power plant — for an hour per year. That could rise to three hours if the program is extended by Congress and remains as popular as it is now.

Climate experts aren't impressed.

Compared to overall carbon dioxide emissions in the United States, the pollution savings from cash for clunkers do not noticeably move the fuel gauge. Environmental experts say the program — conceived primarily to stimulate the economy and jump-start the auto industry — is not an effective way to attack climate change.


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[yellowcanine]

1. OMG they are right. Replacing cars getting 18 mpg with ones getting 30 mpg will do nothing!

And up is down!

[TomCADem]

2. An Average Increase Of 16 mpg Is Nothing! It Still Hot Outside!

Until frost starts developing on my windshield in the middle of summer, I remain unconvinced. ;)

[RaleighNCDUer]

3. The first thousand cars on the road did not cause the problem.

Nor did the first million. Any climate expert would tell you that, too.

It is a problem that developed incrementally, and if we take incremental steps to solve the problem how can it hurt?

Certainly we are at or approaching a tipping point, but even the most drastic measures may not stop our going over anyway, so if we can reduce our adding to the problem by a bit here and a bit there, while all the while working on an overall solution, what's there to bitch about?

[Minimus]

4. They just gotta bitch about something.

[Vogon_Glory]

5. Perhaps Not, But I Like The Side Benefits

Removing old gas-guzzlers and replacing them with newer, more fuel-efficient internal combustion engine autos might not achieve the stated purpose of the 'Cash-for-Clunkers' program--ameliorating climate change--but there's a lot to be said for a program that boosts the economy, keeps auto workers employed, raises local and state tax revenues, gets badly-maintained old clunkers off the road, and ties right-wing politicans' and radio commentators' underwear in elaborate and painful knots while they're still wearing them.

In the meantime, someone will hopefully come up with a better battery or energy storage device and internal combustion passenger automobile engines can go the same route as the Stanley Steamer.