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Obama's Auto Standards Marks a Turning Point for the Industry

May 22, 2009

Posted by Roland Hwang in Moving Beyond Oil , Solving Global Warming

Tags:
ab1493, epawaiver, fueleconomy, fueleconomystandards, globalwarmingstandards, greenhousegasstandards, obamafuelstandards

 I've just returned from Washington after attending President Obama's announcement of new greenhouse gas and fuel economy standards for passenger vehicles. After battling the industry for seven long years since the passage of the groundbreaking California Clean Cars Law (AB1493,...continued

Getting Biofuels Right Requires California’s Low Carbon Fuel Standard to Have Honest GHG Accounting

April 22, 2009

Posted by Roland Hwang in Moving Beyond Oil , Solving Global Warming

Tags:
biofuels, CARB, climatechange, dirtyfuels, ethanol, globalwarmingpollutionstandards, indirectlandusechange, low-carbonfuelstandard, oilshale, tarsands

This Thursday (April 23), the California Air Resources Board has a dramatic opportunity to help solve global warming and get biofuels right by adopting the nation's first Low Carbon Fuel Standard. To do so, California must stand up against two...continued

Stringency for a National Standard Equal to California Applied Nationally

March 24, 2009

Posted by Roland Hwang in Moving Beyond Oil , Solving Global Warming , U.S. Law and Policy

Tags:
ab1493,., CAFE,, CARB,, fueleconomystandards,, globalwarminglaw,, globalwarmingpollutionstandards,, pavley

 As reported in today's New York Times, responding to the Supreme Court's decision in Massachusetts v. EPA, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) plans to declare CO2 and other greenhouse gases as an air pollutant under the Clean Air Act which...continued

Yes They Can

March 5, 2009

Posted by Roland Hwang in Solving Global Warming

Tags:
CAFE, cleancars, EPA waiver, fuel, fueleconomy, obama administration, oilsecurity, pavley

Today, I and my colleague will testify at the EPA Waiver hearing where the Obama Administration EPA is going to reconsider the previous Administration's denial. There is little doubt in most observers' minds that the Obama Administration's EPA will grant...continued

Bob Lutz's Environmental Legacy in GM's Hands

February 9, 2009

Posted by Roland Hwang in Moving Beyond Oil , Solving Global Warming , U.S. Law and Policy

Tags:
ab1493, boblutz, ffueleconomystandards, fueleconomy, generalmotors, GM

Today GM announced Bob Lutz, their 76-year-old GM product development chief and vice chairman, would retire by end of this year. When it comes to the environment, Bob Lutz's legacy is shaped by two, somewhat paradoxical ways. The quote that...continued

NADA's got it wrong: California standards are more stringent than CAFE

February 2, 2009

Posted by Roland Hwang in Moving Beyond Oil , Solving Global Warming , U.S. Law and Policy

Tags:
ab1493, california, cleancars, fueleconomy, gasprices, globalwarming, NHTSA, obama, pavley, vehicles

I blogged on January 24, 2008 on the National Automobile Dealers Association's (NADA) new report complaining about complying with the California Clean Cars Program. The study makes the following claim: "On a national level, the new federal CAFE standards will...continued

California Clean Cars Program will benefit drivers

January 26, 2009

Posted by Roland Hwang in Moving Beyond Oil , Solving Global Warming , U.S. Law and Policy

Tags:
ab1493, california, cleancars,, fueleconomy,, gasprices, globalwarming, NHTSA, obama, pavley, vehicles

I thought I would quickly post some answers to some basic questions that have come up today as the media and others have reacted to the President's announcement today. First, drivers in the states with the California Clean Cars Program will...continued

President Obama to give green light to California Clean Cars Program

January 26, 2009

Posted by Roland Hwang in Moving Beyond Oil , Solving Global Warming , U.S. Law and Policy

Tags:
ab1493, california, cleancars, fueleconomy, gasprices, globalwarming, NHTSA, obama, pavley, vehicles

According to reports in the New York Times and Washington Post, President Obama is expected to announce tomorrow (1/26/08) that he will instruct federal agencies to act quickly to grant California a waiver to regulate automobile tailpipe emissions and also to raise fuel...continued

No More “NADA”: Carmakers should meet California’s global warming standards nationwide

January 24, 2009

Posted by Roland Hwang in Moving Beyond Oil , Solving Global Warming , U.S. Law and Policy

Tags:
ab1493, california, fueleconomy,, fueleconomystandards, gasprices, globalwarming, globalwarmingpollutionstandards,, NHTSA, obama, pavley, vehicles

All signs are that the Obama Administration is planning to give California the long-delayed waiver to implement its ground-breaking global warming standards for new motor vehicles. At her confirmation hearing, the new EPA Administrator, Lisa Jackson, promised to "immediately reconsider...continued

Saving Fuel Through "EcoDriving" Can Help Cool Off Oil Prices

August 18, 2008

Posted by Roland Hwang in Moving Beyond Oil , Solving Global Warming

Tags:
ecodriving, fueleconomy, gasprices, oildependence, oildrilling, oilsecurity, smartercities

It’s not often the main automaker lobbying association, the Alliance of Automobile Manufacturers (AAM), and NRDC find themselves on the same side of an issue. Usually, we are fighting about stricter fuel economy and CO2 pollution standards. But we do...continued

Detroit Big 3 Must Embrace Global Warming Laws

June 5, 2008

Posted by Roland Hwang in Moving Beyond Oil , Solving Global Warming , U.S. Law and Policy

Tags:
ab1493, automakers, california, chrysler, cleancars, ford, gasprices, globalwarming, globalwarminglaw, GM, retoolingincentives

This year, every monthly auto sales report has brought gloomy news for the Detroit Big 3. Unfortunately for the past two decades, the Detroit Big 3 CEOs have been living in a virtual “state of denial” regarding oil prices and...continued

Global Warming Bill Reduces Gas Bills

June 4, 2008

Posted by Roland Hwang in Solving Global Warming

Tags:
climatechange, climatesecurityact, gasprices, globalwarming, globalwarminglaw, liebermanwarner, oildependence, oilsecurity

The oil companies and their allies have been claiming that gasoline prices will go up under the global warming bill currently being debated in Congress, Climate Security Act of 2008 (CSA). However, not surprisingly they fail to point out that...continued

In Memory of Professor Alex Farrell

April 18, 2008

Posted by Roland Hwang in Solving Global Warming

Tags:
alexfarrell

We at NRDC will sorely miss Professor Alex Farrell, who died at his home in San Francisco last Sunday. Alex worked with a number of NRDC staff, helping to guide and inspire our thinking on innovative environmental policies.  Although only 46, Alex made...continued

California Air Resources Board ZEV decision puts us on the road to solving global warming

March 28, 2008

Posted by Roland Hwang in Curbing Pollution , Moving Beyond Oil , Solving Global Warming

Tags:
CARB, cars, electriccars, globalwarming, PHEVs, pluginhybrids, vehicles, ZEVs

This election season, the issue of “just words” has been hotly debated. Do words like “zero emissions” matter when it comes to solving pollution problems? Of course. But equally as important are the facts. To the environment, “zero emissions” are...continued

EPA Denies Waiver but does not dispute California program is better than CAFE

March 1, 2008

Posted by Roland Hwang in Moving Beyond Oil , Solving Global Warming

Tags:
ab1493, california, cleanairact, cleancars, EPA waiver, globalwarming, globalwarminglaw, pollution

On Leap Day, EPA announced a giant leap of logic.  EPA finally released its explanation for denying California permission to implement its landmark Clean Cars program to cut global warming pollution from tailpipes. EPA’s claim that California does not meet...continued

Roland Hwang
Roland Hwang
Vehicles Policy Director
San Francisco
I'm the Vehicles Policy Director for NRDC's energy program, working on transportation energy and global...
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