Where there's a Will, there's a way

Under federal guidelines each state has the option of adopting federal standards for auto-emissions or the more stringent California standards. The California Pavley standards, named after the sponsor of the bill, would enact further reductions of pollutants that cause global warming.

A federal judge ruled today against attempts by the auto industry to block implementation of the Pavley standards. This is significant for Illinois because the Illinois Clean Car bill would have Illinois adopt the California Pavley standards.

I haven't seen any news coverage yet, but the Sierra Club issued a press release with several statements from their Chief Climate Council, David Bookbinder.

"This decision should put the nail in the coffin of the failed arguments of the auto industry. In this trial they used every tired argument about safety, job losses, lack of technology, and doubts about the science of global warming that they had--the same things they have been saying to the public and to Congress for decades. We have long known these arguments were not true and Judge Sessions’ ruling indicates that he did not believe them either."

Additionally, the same clean car proposal received the endorsement last week of the Illinois Climate Change Advisory Group. Momentum is building for less polluting and more fuel efficient vehicle standards in Illinois.