Obama’s EPA Proposes New Rules For Truckers ‘Cause Climate Change

20 Jun, 2015 by William Teach

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Mr. Obama’s unhinged EPA just got done proposing new rules for airplanes, which will raise costs not just for those who take fossil fueled flights, but every product that requires shipment by air (while Obama just ordered a new Air Force One). Now they want to raise the cost of living even more

(AP) The Obama administration on Friday proposed tough new standards to improve fuel efficiency and reduce carbon dioxide pollution from trucks and vans, the latest move by President Barack Obama to address global warming.

The new rules are designed to slash heat-trapping carbon emissions by 24 percent by 2027 while reducing oil consumption by up to 1.8 billion barrels over the lifetime of the vehicles sold under the rule.

Medium and heavy-duty vehicles account for about 20 percent of greenhouse gas emissions and oil use in the U.S. transportation sector, polluting the air and contributing to climate change. The trucks and vans comprise only 5 percent of vehicles on the road. (snip)

Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx said the new rules would help the environment and the economy, as trucks use less fuel and shipping costs go down. Foxx called the rules “good news all around.”

You just know that the line was thrown in to attempt to ease fears over cost increases. Unfortunately, it’s not true. The cost of the trucks will increase, which will be passed on to consumers, much as it has with car fuel mandates.

Lets also consider that better MPG often means driving more, which would do nothing for CO2 output.

The leadership for American Trucking Association is all behind this, and, really, they have been pushing for more efficient trucks. Who wouldn’t? The same could be said in the consumer car sector, where many consumers want better MPG. The mandates, though, artificially push compliance which isn’t always good for the consumer

The proposed standards would cover model years 2021-2027 and apply to semi-trucks, large pickup trucks and vans, and all types and sizes of buses and work trucks, officials said.

The National Automobile Dealers Association and American Truck Dealers blasted the rule, saying it would add an average of nearly $12,000 to the cost of a new truck.

“Recent history has shown that mandates with underestimated compliance costs result in substantially higher prices for commercial vehicles, and force fleet owners and operators to seek out less-expensive and less fuel-efficient alternatives in the marketplace,” the groups said in a statement.

While the overall cost of living for citizens may only rise a tiny bit, particularly via shipping costs, you add these cost increases to all the other cost increases from other “climate change” rules and regs, and you start having some serious cost of living increases.

Crossed at Pirate’s Cove. Follow me on Twitter @WilliamTeach.