Judge Rejects Carmakers' Emission Suit

AP via SFGate ^ | 9/12/7 | DAVE GRAM, Associated Press Writer

[SmithL]

Sessions, William K. III

Born 1947 in Hartford, CT

Federal Judicial Service:
Judge, U. S. District Court, District of Vermont
Nominated by William J. Clinton on June 30, 1995, to a seat vacated by Fred I. Parker; Confirmed by the Senate on August 11, 1995, and received commission on August 14, 1995. Served as chief judge, 2002-present.

Education:
Middlebury College, B.A., 1969

George Washington University Law School, J.D., 1972

Professional Career:
U.S. Army First Lieutenant, 1972-1977
Active service, 1972-1973
Law clerk, Hon. Hilton Dier, Addison County District Court, Vermont, 1973
Addison County public defender, 1974-1978
Private practice, Middlebury, Vermont, 1978-1995
Adjunct professor, Vermont Law School, 1978-1995
Campaign manager, Leahy for U.S. Senate Campaign, 1992
Commissioner, U.S. Sentencing Commission, 1999-present

Race or Ethnicity: White

Gender: Male

[Clock King]

Stop sell cars in that state, just like WonderBread stopped selling in CA. Tell ‘em to go walk.

[samm1148]

So states’ rights apply for moonbat issues but not when a state wants to shut down abortion mills?

[nikos1121]

If GM or FORD or Chrysler etc cannot meet the emission standards what then? I think you’re right, theywon’t be able to sell anynew cars in that state, and residents of that state I would think would be prohibited from buying cars from other states and returning with them....OR WOULD THEY?

This verdict seems very very strange indeed.

nick

[sirchtruth]

If the auto industry had any fortitude they’d tell those looney dumbass elitist in VT to just go convert all their car’s gas engines to burn on Vegtable Oil because they’ll never sell another gas engine car to any pondscum greenie socialist prick in that idiotic state.

[Yo-Yo]

In 1990, Kalifornia's Air Resources Board (CARB) mandated that by 1998 2 percent of all new vehicles sold in Kalifornia had to be Zero Emission Vehicles, and 10% by 2003. In response, GM introduced the EV-1.

After Kalifornia realized that the goal would never be met, they recinded the ZEV mandate. So who killed the Electric Car? The CARB did.

When Kalifornia, Vermont, and the 10 other states realize that they cannot legislate basic chemestry, they will recind the silly rules.

The perfrect and complete combustion of H_xC_x (hydrocarbons) with O₂ (oxygen) results in two things: H₂O (Water) and CO₂ (Eeeeeevil Greenhouse Gas.) No legislature's silly law will change that chemical equation.

[Beagle8U]

Simple solution, sell no cars in California or the other states. Problem solved. They can ride horses!

[umgud]

The automakers can meet these goals. All they have to do is quit selling SUV’s, pickups and performance vehicles.

[Kieri]

If GM or FORD or Chrysler etc cannot meet the emission standards what then? I think you’re right, theywon’t be able to sell anynew cars in that state, and residents of that state I would think would be prohibited from buying cars from other states and returning with them....OR WOULD THEY?

THAT seems like a direct violation of US commerce laws!

Kalifornia could just do an end-run around certain vehicles by placing and enforcing huge new taxes on them when they go to get a license. It would NOT be up to neighboring states to tell a potential customer, "no, you can't buy that Denali, you have a Californian drivers license."

[alloysteel]

To begin with, there is an ideological belief that carbon dioxide is some kind of harmful “greenhouse gas”. Well, there is some CO2 found in greenhouse, which if there were not, the plants would end up shriveling and dying. Plants LIVE on CO2. That is part of their life cycle. Plants absorb the yellow-blue part of the sun’s light spectrum (which we perceive as “green”), using the energy to convert water and carbon dioxide into some form of carbohydrate and oxygen. As long as the carbohydrate remains a carbohydrate, the CO2 is “sequestered”.

It is technologically impossible to build an automobile that emits no CO2. Can’t be done. Not now, not ever. Somewhere, in the chain of manufacturing that must happen so the vehicle can exist, some form of carbon must unite with oxygen to form CO2. At the steel mills, at the powerplant where the electricity that is used to machine the car parts is generated, under the lights in the assembly facility, the transportation vehicle that moves the completed vehicle to the dealer, and finally the motive power that gets the vehicle down the road.

And face it, a thousand years from now, hydrocarbons are still going to be used as fuel to provide the energy needed to support our civilization. Hydrocarbon fuel is just a very handy storehouse of energy.

[Yo-Yo]

I’m sure they’ll have better luck doing that than I had spelling “chemistry”

[umgud]

I’m sure they’ll have better luck doing that than I had spelling “chemistry”

I’m not a spelling NAZI

[johniegrad]

they’ll never sell another gas engine car to any pondscum greenie socialist prick in that idiotic state.

I'm having a hard time reading between the lines. Do you have any negative feelings for your neighbors in Vt.?

[johniegrad]

The automakers can meet these goals. All they have to do is quit selling SUV’s, pickups and performance vehicles.

Couldn't agree more. Gimme one of those 9 volts!!!

[Yo-Yo]

Of course you're not. My inability to spell (or impatience to click the "spell" button) was noticed by me not you.

[supercat]

The perfrect and complete combustion of HxCx (hydrocarbons) with O2 (oxygen) results in two things: H2O (Water) and CO2 (Eeeeeevil Greenhouse Gas.) No legislature's silly law will change that chemical equation.

True, but one could reduce CO2 emissions by preventing combustion from running to completion, producing carbon monoxide and/or soot instead of CO2. Not that those would really be an improvement, but they wouldn't be CO2.

[Yo-Yo]

That’s also true, but those emissions are also regulated.

[nikos1121]

You’re describing the end run that people tried to do to avoid sales tax on autos. This is different. If the item, a new car, does not mean emission standards it would not be allowed on the highway.

On the other hand, if you are not allowing citizens of the state to buy these cars, how can you let non state residents come in with these cars.

This shows how rediculous this law would be. What are they going to do, restrict any new cars from coming in?

Crazy.

[mvpel]

Kalifornia could just do an end-run around certain vehicles by placing and enforcing huge new taxes on them when they go to get a license. It would NOT be up to neighboring states to tell a potential customer, "no, you can't buy that Denali, you have a Californian drivers license."

They tried that with their "smog impact fee" imposed on noncompliant cars brought in from out of state. They were sued, and they lost, and they sent my wife and I a refund check including interest.