California puts green tags on new cars
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All new vehicles on sale in California will soon have to display their green credentials. This is a new scheme implemented by the California Air Resources Board (CARB). From January 1, 2009, stickers like the one seen here will carry information about the environmental performance of every vehicle they’re pasted into.
There will be a ‘Global Warming Score’ (based on greenhouse gas emissions from driving and fuel production) and a ‘Smog Score’ (pretty much self-explanatory), both rated on a one-to-ten scale, with ten being the cleanest. And, similar to warnings on cigarette packets, they will say: ‘Protect the environment, choose vehicles with higher scores.’
“This label will arm consumers with the information they need to choose a vehicle that saves gas, reduces greenhouse gas emissions and helps fight smog all at once,’ says Mary Nichols of CARB. ‘Consumer choice is an especially powerful tool in our fight against climate change.”
“For most people in California, driving a car is the number-one way they pollute,” says Spencer Quong, senior vehicles analyst with the Union of Concerned Scientists. Potential customers can already find the relevant facts on the internet (though not necessarily with a ratings system from one single body), but Quong says: “These labels are simple and straightforward, and will make identifying a greener car easier than ever.”
Californians buy more than 1.5 million new vehicles each year, making up about 10% of the total U.S. new vehicle market.