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California Global
Warming Solutions Act of 2006
Well, everyone has
heard of Fuel Surcharges but have you ever heard of a California Clean Air
Surcharge. It just might be in the future. Yes, Global Warming has finally
come to California truckers including ANY out of state truckers coming to
California.
The California Air
Resources Board (CARB) is proposing a Heavy Duty Vehicle Green House Gas
Reduction, which will be based on EPA’s SmartWay Program.
This proposed
SmartWay regulation WILL REQUIRE the use of SmartWay technologies on all
Class 8 sleeper/day cabs equipment, pulling 53 foot box-type trailers
OPERATING in California; including ALL out-of-state trucks/trailers.
Now you say “How
in the world can they enforce this.” The answer is simple, CARB is
proposing that “ California warehouse shippers or receivers’ will be one
of their enforcement strategies.” All distribution centers in California
would be subject to this rule if they receive or load specified equipment
and will be subject to the largest penalties from CAR.
Now I can hear all
of you saying that fuel is high enough and now they are going to make me
buy more stuff for my truck, “What’s Next!” tax the t-paper I use because
it’s not biodegradable. Well, what if I tell you that this just might
lower the cost of fuel for everyone and at the same time save you money.
In fact, I can show you just how much money you can save BEFORE you buy
anything. You could possibly save as much as $13,000 a year. See following
article
If you don’t
remember, let me give you some background on this. Another tax and spend
democrat, the illustrious Assembly Speaker Fabian Nunez from Los Angeles
started this bill back in either late 2005 or early 2006.
I believe it
passed in late August 2006 and Gov Schwarzenegger signed the bill in late
September 2006. The reasoning behind this is because of California’s
massive and growing economy. Would you believe that California is the 12th
largest emitter of carbon in the world (yes I said the world) despite
leading the nation in energy efficiency standards and the leading role in
protecting it’s environment.
Now don’t get me
wrong, I like clean air as much as anyone but I have to wonder WHY
everyone keeps picking on the people in the transportation industry who
are using the ONLY thing available to them to make a living. Wouldn’t it
make more sense for the governments of the world to offer the
manufacturers some incentive to develop a better non-polluting, more
efficient engine? Then and only then would everyone benefit and the world
would be dependent free of Arab oil!
Anyway, enough
spouting off of my opinion; let’s get back to the basics.
AB 32 as it is
called requires the California Air Resource Board (CARB) to;
·
Establish a statewide greenhouse
gas emissions cap for 2010, based on 1990 emissions by January 1, 2008
·
Adopt mandatory reporting rules
for significant sources of greenhouse gases by January 1, 2009
·
Adopt a plan by January 1, 2009
indicating how emission reductions will be achieved from significant
greenhouse gas sources via regulations, market mechanisms and other
actions.
·
Adopt regulations by January 1,
2011 to achieve the maximum technologically feasible and cost-effective
reductions in greenhouse gas, including provisions for using both market
mechanisms and alternative compliance mechanisms.
·
Convene an Environmental Justice
Advisory Committee and an Economic and Technology Advancement Advisory
Committee to advise CARB.
·
Ensure public notice and
opportunity for comment for all CARB actions.
·
Prior to imposing any mandates
or authorizing market mechanisms, CARB must evaluate several factors,
including but not limited to impacts on California’s economy, the
environment and public health; equity between regulated entries;
electricity reliability, conformance with other environmental laws and
ensure that the rules do not disproportionately impact low-income
communities.
At the same time,
the initiative will result in fuel savings of up to 150 millions barrels
of oil annually.
SmartWay Transport
Partnership
Ground freight
transportation is the movement of goods using trucking fleets and rail,
which forms a solid foundation for maintaining our country’s economic
prosperity and competitive advantage. The United States uses nearly 7
million trucks and 20,000 Class 1 locomotives to transport over 9 billion
tons of goods each year.
However, these
benefits are not without costs. Moving freight accounts for 20% of all
energy consumed in the transportation sector. Trucks carry about 66% of
all freight shipped in the US, while rail carries about 16% (water
pipeline, and air transport account for the rest). Together truck and rail
transport now consume over 35 billion gallons of diesel each year.
While burning fuel
is necessary to move goods efficiently by truck and rail, some of that
fuel is wasted due to inefficient practices such as excessive idling and
using trucks with poor aerodynamic design. That wasted fuel translates to
wasted money for freight companies and increased emissions into the
environment.
Burning this fuel
produces carbon dioxide, the most prevalent greenhouse gas. These
greenhouse gases create a “blanket” that prevents ultraviolet rays from
leaving the earth, thusly warming the earth. It was just recently
discovered where a seven-mile (7) square glacier of ice broke loose up in
the artic.
What the
transportation industry has to do is to reduce the 35 billion gallons of
diesel fuel, which produces over 350 million metric tons of carbon dioxide
each year.
SmartWay Transport
is a voluntary partnership between various freight industry sectors and
the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) that establishes incentives for
fuel efficiency improvements and greenhouse gas emissions reductions.
The SmartWay
Transport program is working with states, banks, and other organization to
develop innovative financing options that help in the
purchasing of these fuel & emission saving devices. There is even a
Package Saving Calculator to show you how much money you can save.
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