U.S. DOE will phase in energy-efficiency standards for household appliances

The Appliance of Their Aye

After years of thumb-twiddling, the U.S. Department of Energy will phase in more stringent energy-efficiency requirements for 22 household appliances and other pieces of equipment over the next five years. Congress requires ramped-up efficiency standards according to periodic deadlines; this update is only a dozen or so years late, so you'd think critics would cut the DOE some slack. But steely-eyed green groups, joined by 15 states and New York City, sued over the delay last year, and now a settlement is forcing the department to get off its arse. Gizmos with better energy efficiency -- including dishwashers, fluorescent lamps, ovens, and the like -- could stave off the construction of dozens of new power plants and save enough juice to meet the needs of 12 million homes once fully in place. Under the settlement, the department must set standards at the maximum technologically feasible and cost-effective level possible. What a bright idea.

straight to the source: San Francisco Chronicle, Associated Press, H. Josef Hebert, 13 Nov 2006

straight to the source: Fond du Lac Reporter, 13 Nov 2006

ADVERTISING POLICY

Comments: (6 comments)

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that nun can sing all she wants ...

We must remember, though, that that cute song of hers celebrates the crushing of the Albigensian heretics, in the Langue d'Oc region of southern France (Albi, Toulouse, Carcassonne, etc.) in the 13th century. Not that they are my favorite heretics, but still!

Being generally a Francophile, I do not like when the French fall down on their self-anointed job, e.g. keeping the peace in Africa. Still, I do hope that this idea of M. de Villepin goes places.

Chickens deserve our true friendship! So do fish! So do other sentient beings! Let us learn to be kind.

by caniscandida at 10:47 AM on 14 Nov 2006

No More McDonald's For Them

I wonder why the French Prime Minister would think that a European tax on imports from the United States would not result in a tax on European imports into the United States. Citizens here would demand it. Someone over there should do a little research on the Smoot-Hawley Tariff Act (1930) and its impact on world trade and the Great Depression.

If the European's want to waste their resources and damage their economies trying to implement Kyoto, I guess that would be their own business. Even if fully implemented, Kyoto's effect on predicted future global warming would be negligible. Why should the United States engage in very expensive symbolism just because the Europeans do?

C. B. Richardson Jr. Houston, Texas

by cbrtxus at 10:53 AM on 14 Nov 2006

Citizens would demand it?

Since when have our citizens demanded anything? and how often have you known Joe/Jane Citizen to demand higher taxes? I think you are vastly over-estimating the citizenry. They might have a grasp on Freedom Fries, but global economic policy? Not so much.

by kmp at 12:27 PM on 14 Nov 2006

Wooohooo!

Higher standards for appliances!

France ups their food standards again, and sticks it to the man!

Sadly...global warming is hurting most those who have the least to do with it - farmers in impoverished countries. More desertification, lower yields, longer and more frequent droughts. If these things happened on a person-to-person level, we'd be charged with abuse or neglect, or worse. That our country hides behind the spin and the politics is shameful, and we'll get ours someday.

by swozniak at 9:49 PM on 14 Nov 2006

Citizens would demand it?

kmp, you might be right about our citizens. I hope that you aren't.

If another country erects trade barriers against our exports, we should retaliate immediately and do so without equivocation. To do otherwise would encourage other countries to erect their own trade barriers. Every country would probably prefer to protect its own manufacturing from foreign competition. What keeps them from doing it is the prospect of foreign competitors doing the same.

The United States represents a huge market for foreign exporters. I doubt if they would want to disturb that. Hopefully, no country would be willing to start a trade war over something as inane as the Kyoto Protocol.

C. B. Richardson Jr. Houston, Texas

by cbrtxus at 9:01 AM on 17 Nov 2006
[ Parent ]

Wooohooo!

Swozniak, I suspect that the current warming trend that ended the Little Ice Age around the 1850's increased yields. Has global farm productivity gone down since 1850? Is it trending down now?

Longer growing seasons and less frost would tend to increase production and allow certain crops to be grown further to the North. And higher levels of atmospheric carbon dioxide would tend to benefit crop yields. I doubt that anyone involved with agriculture would long for the climate that we had during the Little Ice Age.

Local climate fluctuations can adversely impact certain areas while being a boon to other areas. Our own "Dust Bowl" in the 1930's would be a good example. Droughts have always been with us. There is no evidence that I am aware of that we are having longer and more frequent droughts when compared to a longer span of time. The desertification in some areas started long before anthropogenic global warming could have been a cause.

I do agree with you about the spin and the politics. It exists on all sides of the anthropogenic global warming debate. I have Google send me links to new articles that contain "Global Warming." It seems like everything including obesity and athletes feet have now been linked to global warming. I am suffering from "hysteria overload." :)

C. B. Richardson Jr. Houston, Texas

by cbrtxus at 9:52 AM on 17 Nov 2006
[ Parent ]

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