What's new
In December, 2005 Maine adopted global warming tailpipe emission standards for new cars, light trucks and SUV's - another piece of the "Cleaner Cars Program" first passed by California and now adopted by nine other states, including Maine.
But even though Maine and nine other states have adopted this program we are still waiting for it be finalized. That's because the Bush Administration, as required by the Federal Clean Air Act, must sign-off or issue a "waiver" to allow these stricter standards to take effect. (Something the federal Environment Protection Agency has done forty times over the last thirty years!) To this date, Maine and the other states are still waiting for the waiver to allow the new global warming tailpipe emission standards to take effect.
Brief summary
The Cleaner Cars standards are to take effect in model year 2009 and will reduce global warming pollution from new cars, light trucks and SUV's 30% by 2016. Put another way, these standards will reduce a total of 64 million metric tons of global warming pollution by 2020, and will eliminate as much carbon dioxide annually as is produced by 63 coal-fired power plants generating - enough power for nearly a quarter of U.S. homes.
Global warming pollution from cars, light trucks and SUV's is the single largest source of global warming pollution generated in Maine. Adopting the global warming tailpipe emission standards is the number two priority in Maine's Climate Action Plan, Maine's blueprint to reduce global warming pollution by a sufficient amount over the long term to avert the worst effects of global warming. Global warming will have profound impacts on Maine, including more frequent summer heat waves, milder winters and reduced snow pack, rising sea levels, increases in vector-borne diseases such as Lyme and West Nile, and increased air pollution to name just a few.
