Barack Tease

Obama pledges to save the civilized world with baby steps

"This is our generation's moment to save future generations from global catastrophe," declared Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama in a speech on Friday. He heralded a "grassroots effort to make America greener and end the tyranny of oil." And just as greens were up on their collective tippie-toes, primed for a collective Obamagasm, he ... proposed a small boost in U.S. vehicle fuel-efficiency standards. Oh. Obama's "National Low Carbon Fuel Standard," which would federalize vehicle emissions standards put forward by California and since adopted by eight other states, would lower vehicle fuel carbon intensity by 10 percent by 2020. (That's the equivalent of taking 32 million cars off the road by 2020. There were 204 million cars on American roads in 2003.) Count that as something more than faint-hearted American automakers think they can accomplish, but far short of ending the tyranny of oil or saving future generations. Even Arnold doesn't congratulate himself this much.