The Hindu : Front Page : U.S. law mandates ethanol use, sets fuel efficiency norms

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Friday, Dec 21, 2007
ePaper

Front Page

Front Page

U.S. law mandates ethanol use, sets fuel efficiency norms

Ewen MacAskill

Bush signs climate bill as part of fulfilling Bali pledges

Cars and light trucks must increase fuel efficiency by 40 per cent
Energy efficiency targets for fridges, freezers and dishwashers

PHOTO: AP

FOR A GREENER EARTH: U.S. President George Bush signs the Energy Independence and Security Act in Washington on Wednesday.

Washington: United States President George W. Bush, after years of holding out against proposals to combat climate change, has signed into law an energy bill establishing higher fuel economy standards for new cars and other conservation measures.

Mr. Bush described the bill as “a major step toward energy independence and easing global warming”. The White House claimed it went part of the way to fulfilling promises made at the environmental conference in Bali last week.

The legislation, though limited in scope, represents the biggest fuel efficiency push by the U.S. since the 1970s oil crisis.

The new law also contains provisions to increase the use of ethanol as an alternative to petrol. Other measures in the legislation include a statutory target of a 70 per cent increase in use of energy efficient light bulbs and improved energy efficiency targets for fridges, freezers and dishwashers. Federal buildings will also have to become more energy efficient.

The reaction of environmentalists was mixed: grateful that the White House has belatedly adopted some of the policies they have been advocating but warning that the measures were too limited and not due to be implemented for years.

Throughout most of his presidency, Mr. Bush has disputed scientific evidence about global warming, refusing to sign up for the Kyoto treaty setting targets for reducing greenhouse gases. Over the last year, he has publicly softened his stance, acknowledging there is a crisis, though administration officials say that in private he continues to be sceptical.

The bill was passed by the House of Representatives by 314 to 100, with 95 Republicans supporting the Democrats. The Senate approved it by 86-8. The bill was sent to the White House in a hybrid car, using a mixture of electricity and petrol.

As well as the Democratic-led Congress pushing proposals to tackle global warming, individual States, with California in the vanguard, have been putting in place energy-saving measures at variance with the Bush administration’s position.

The new legislation requires cars and light trucks to increase fuel efficiency by 40 per cent, setting a standard of an average of 55 km a gallon by 2020, as opposed to 40 km at present. Mr. Bush had previously opposed regulations on petrol use.

The Democrats said the legislation will reduce U.S. demand for oil by four million barrels a day by 2030. They said the fuel economy requirements will save motorists $700 to $1,000 a year in costs. In order to get the bill through, Democrats had to drop from it a $21-billion tax package that would have reduced breaks for the biggest oil and gas companies and extended breaks for wind and solar projects. While championing the domestic industry, Mr. Bush has acknowledged throughout the year that the U.S. has to reduce its dependence on oil imports. The legislation addresses “our vulnerabilities and dependency on foreign oil by reducing demand for gasoline and diversifying the nation’s fuel supply,” he said.

He regards a switch of cars from petrol to ethanol as a way to help achieve this.

But environmentalists question its value, arguing that the increased growth of corn for ethanol has resulted in higher use of fertilisers, which has contributed to the poisoning of rivers.

The new legislation envisages a six-fold increase in ethanol production to 36 billion gallons a year by 2022. Of that, 21 billion gallons has to be from alternatives to corn, such as prairie grasses or wood chips. — © Guardian Newspapers Limited, 2007

Printer friendly page
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Front Page