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New York to paste "global warming index" stickers on some new vehicles

New York has become the second state in the U.S. to require new cars and light trucks to bear a "global warming index" sticker. (We'll give you a minute to guess which one was first.) The law, which begins with the 2010 model year, aims to educate consumers and cut pollution. Each sticker will show how the vehicle's emissions compare to the average overall emissions of that model year, and will also reveal which model within the vehicle's class has the lowest emissions. Nasties to be indexed include carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide, hydrofluorocarbons, perfluorocarbons, and sulfur hexafluoride. "Global warming is one of the most serious environmental problems of our generation," said New York Gov. Eliot Spitzer (D). "Every level of government, every business, and every consumer can play a role in reducing greenhouse-gas emissions." Oh, and: the first state was California. And New York is basing its law on theirs, so manufacturers don't have to devise different stickers. Isn't that thoughtful?