On Wednesday, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced it has granted a waiver to allow the California Air Resources Board to begin enforcing new regulations that would effectively ban gasoline-powered vehicles in the Golden State by 2035. .
In 2020, California first announced its intention to ban the sale of new fossil fuel-powered vehicles by 2035. In 2022, the state passed the state's Advanced Clean Car II (ACC II), which updates tailpipe emissions standards. All vehicles sold in California must have “net-zero” emissions by 2035.
The EPA waiver allows California to require 35 percent of new car and light truck sales to be zero-emissions by 2026 and to achieve emissions levels 90 percent lower than current levels by 2027. The exemption is granted under the auspices of the EPA. Clean Air Act provisions.
“California has long had the authority to request exemptions from the EPA to protect residents from dangerous air pollution from mobile sources such as cars and trucks,” said EPA's Michael Regan. . “Today's action is in line with EPA's commitment to work with countries to reduce emissions and address the threat of climate change.”
Fifteen states have announced similar moves away from fossil fuel-powered vehicles, but California's ban is the strictest. Climate change enthusiasts fear that the incoming administration of President Donald Trump will soon move to rescind the exemption.
stop trump
Some believe that granting a waiver under the Clean Air Act could be an obstacle to President Trump's ability to move quickly to rescind the waiver.
“Specifically, in granting the Advanced Clean Car exemption, EPA relies heavily on the fact that the program reduces traditional air pollutants from vehicles, including those that contribute to ozone pollution,” Legal said.・Ann Carlson of Planet writes: “The fact that the standard would also reduce greenhouse gases is secondary. This makes the legal basis for a waiver very strong, and it would be difficult for the Trump administration to first rescind the waiver and then seek to enforce these rights in court.” It would be very difficult to defend the abandonment.
So climate change fanatics are already planning legal battles for the incoming Trump administration.
But the Trump administration seems ready for that fight.
“Crooked Joe Biden, who just imposed a crazy, job-killing electric vehicle mandate at the federal level, will destroy the remnants of the U.S. auto industry by approving California’s waiver request to ban the sale of all gasoline-powered vehicles. “They are preparing to massacre the people,” the report said. President Trump's press secretary, Caroline Levitt, said this during the campaign.
consumer choice
Some climate change fanatics irrationally called this exemption a “victory for consumer choice.”
“We are grateful that EPA has approved the next generation of clean car and truck standards so that states can begin implementing programs to achieve public health and clean air goals. “This is a win for consumer choice and healthier communities as we prioritize delivering clean, zero-emission vehicles to the states that adopt them,” said Sierra Club Director Katherine Garci. said in a statement.
Others question the legality of this practice and argue that it harms consumers.
“Contrary to campaign claims that it would never tell Americans what kind of cars they should drive, the Biden-Harris Environmental Protection Agency will We just gave the go-ahead to ban the sale of conventional hybrid cars and did just that,” Chet said. Thompson, an American fuel and petrochemical manufacturer. “These policies harm consumers (millions of whom don't even live in California) by denying them the opportunity to purchase new gas-powered vehicles in their home states and increasing vehicle and transportation costs. I will give it.”
Climate fanatics like California Governor Gavin Newsom will not make anything easy for the Trump administration. And deep state cronies at Alphabet agencies like the EPA will do their part to make the path to common sense government as difficult as possible. Many would like the movement of climate change fanatics to fade away and fade into obscurity, but it's not going anywhere anytime soon.
