A Greener Auto Experience

U.S. President Barack Obama is proposing the first-ever national standard on car emissions set to begin in 20-11.

It would be the largest auto transformation in nearly three decades – and it could dramatically change your car buying experience.

Hi, I’m Erica Nochlin, and you’re watching Newsy.com.

Worldwide, ABC News looks at how some countries have already implemented a similar plan.

“Environmentalists say the technology is already there to make cars that meet the new requirements.  As evidence, they point to Japanese cars that already exceed the standard.  ‘The American manufacturers already know how to do it, they can and they will, this is gonna force them to do it.’” (ABC)

So what would the impact be? What would change? The BBC brings us this outline.

“It would result in lowering fuel emissions 30 percent by the year 2016.
It would be like closing 190 coal-fired plants, or taking 177 million cars off the road.
But it may raise the price of cars by 13-hundred dollars.” (BBC)

That increase in the price has many concerned.
The Desert Sun, A Palm Springs, California newspaper brings us a local car dealer’s perspective.
He thinks the government should mind its own business…

“When the government starts imposing a lot of decisions on business decisions, it harnesses unfair fiscal responsibility that trickles down to the consumer.” (The Desert Sun)

The Wall Street Journal takes that a step further and says – it will be up to car companies to win consumers over especially in the current economy…

“With this type of volatility, you can't effectively plan your product lineup for the next several years and hope to make money as an auto maker… If the government wants to be realistic, it has to come up with incentives for people to buy fuel-efficient vehicles.” (The Wall Street Journal)

Environmentalists say saving the planet shoud be incentive enough..
The Environment News Service says…

 “Few actions could have a more profound impact in the fight against global warming.” (The Environmental News Service)

In our research, Newsy.com found many mentions of California. where a comparable plan is in place, and California is one of the few U.S. states that was fighting for these stricter standards… in fact today… Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger  was on hand at the White House…