A Pipe Dream Becomes Possible.(Brief Article)

President George W. Bush wiped his hands of the Kyoto Protocol in March 2001. But he did promise an American alternative. And now we have it-- California. Last week a bill to limit greenhouse-gas emissions from motor vehicles in California was approved by the State Assembly and landed before Gov. Gray Davis, who has said he'll likely sign it. If he does, the California Air Resources Board will adopt standards for cars and light trucks (read SUVs) sold in the state to achieve "maximum feasible reduction" in emissions. Only California could get away with this: because its Air Resources Board was established before the federal-level Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), California is allowed to establish tougher standards than the EPA, which so far doesn't regulate greenhouse- gas emissions from vehicles. And most ...