EPA

Fuel efficiency. It's an issue that has seemingly fallen onto America's the back-burner for a variety of reasons, not the least of which are declining fuel prices and economy along with the auto industry's financial plight. Still, few would argue that the issue of cutting down on petroleum use is any less important today than it was six months ago, so the decision (or, really, the lack thereof) of the Bush Administration to leave future fuel economy standards on the table for President-Elect Barack Obama and his future staff is ruffling a few feathers.

The Big Predictions for the Future have begun. This is the numbers game where eye-popping numerical targets start being thrown around before we've come anywhere close to achieving the eyebrow raising targets that are still 14 years away. According to Margo Oge at the EPA, the CAFE standard will need to jump to 75-MPG by the 2030s to meet greenhouse targets.

California and 18 other states have been waiting patiently for a reason why the EPA denied them emissions waivers even after the government agency's own scientists recommended that the waivers be granted. EPA chief Stephen Johnson finally provided that answer last Friday, which allowed the 19 states' lawsuit against the EPA to move forward.

The recently passed federal regulations adjust the average vehicle fuel economy standards to 35 mpg by 2020. Long before the Federal Government passed the new standards, the State of California had their mind set on enforcing their own rules. In order to individualize the regulations, California and the 15 other states following on its heels, needed a waiver from the EPA.