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Medical copays reduce health care access in MS prisons; Israel planted explosives in pagers sold to Hezbollah according to official sources; Serving looks with books: Libraries fight 'fast fashion' by lending clothes; Menhaden decline threatens Virginia's ecosystem, fisheries.

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JD Vance calls for toning down political rhetoric, while calls for his resignation grow because of his own comments. The Secret Service again faces intense criticism, and a right to IVF is again voted down in the US Senate.

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A USDA report shows a widening gap in rural versus urban health, a North Carolina county remains divided over a LGBTQ library display, and Minnesota Governor Tim Walz' policies are spotlighted after his elevation to the Democratic presidential ticket.

FL Set to Send Clean Car Rules into the Passing Lane

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Monday, December 1, 2008   

Florida may be jumping into the passing lane when it comes to better gas mileage for cars and trucks - and less pollution from their tailpipes. On Tuesday, the Florida Environmental Regulation Commission votes on whether to adopt "clean car" standards that limit vehicle emissions.

Advocates say cars and trucks account for about 40 per cent of Florida's greenhouse gas emissions. They believe approving the tougher standards already adopted by California, New York and 11 other states, would reduce Florida's contribution to human-induced global warming.

To Eric Draper, policy director for Audubon of Florida, it makes sense that Florida would be among the first tier of states to put the standards in place.

"Florida is a big state, a 'mega' state, a trendsetter - and if we adopt these changes, I think we're going to see states all over the place do the same thing."

Automakers oppose the clean car standards, saying they would add hundreds of dollars to vehicle prices, making sales even more difficult in tough economic times. They also claim the technology is not quite ready, and they prefer federal fuel economy guidelines.

Draper admits improved fuel efficiency could add between $90 and $700 to car and truck price tags. Still, he says, it's money consumers could recover within two years through savings at the gas pump.

"It's good for the environment, it's good for your pocketbook, and it's actually good for Detroit too because for too long the Detroit automakers have been making cars people don't want, that are not good for the environment. "

Governor Crist made clean cars part of his Climate Action Plan last year, and this week's vote is the first test of whether lawmakers will commit to taking action on climate change. In Draper's view, Florida has a strong self-interest in slowing climate change.

"You have two big problems: one is rising sea levels, which threaten to flood cities like Jacksonville and Miami; and then, we have weather problems. As global warming becomes more extreme, weather becomes more extreme and we have more hurricanes and droughts."

Draper adds the clean car rule would also give automakers incentive to produce "flex-fuel cars" that run on either gasoline or ethanol. He believes this technology would, in turn, fuel the Florida ethanol industry, which the governor also advocates.



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