Emission Checks = Another Green Tax
September 3, 2007 at 1:02 am 4 comments
Posted by Ed Maurer:
I recently spent 20 minutes behind this vehicle while I was waiting in line at a fast food drive through lane. There were 8 people in this van and they had quite a lengthy convoluted order that I was sure the cashier would mess up. While waiting for their order to be rectified, I noticed a huge amount of smoke coming from this offending vehicle. So much smoke that I had to shut my windows, and even that didn’t help much. First off, they could have shut off their car completely to save gas, the environment, and my lungs. The time I spent waiting I was pondering the fact that not a lot of states have an emissions check requirement. According to dmv.org, Ohio (the state I was in at the time of this photo,) does not have a state-wide emissions check requirement. Only 7 of the state’s 88 counties have an emissions check requirement.
My own state (Michigan) has no such requirement either. Unfortunately, the economy needs to be doing very well in order to get an emission check mandate to become law. And the people that owned this vehicle would most likely not be able to afford the green tax if they were required to.
Entry filed under: Environment, Global Warming.
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The Green Tax 
1.
Tom | September 4, 2007 at 4:41 am
An interesting thing to note:
China is quickly becoming the world’s number one for greenhouse gas emissions.
http://www.iht.com/articles/2006/11/07/news/warm.php
They don’t have to abide by the Kyoto Protocol, since they are technically still a developing nation which makes things worse.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kyoto_Protocol
A map of developed nations:
Another thing to note:
The US has not ratified the Kyoto Protocol. This just means that its more of a guideline than a rule to us, we aren’t bound by it. But the protocol does has some pretty stringent requirements.
Good Job on the new site!
2.
thegreentax | September 5, 2007 at 3:11 am
Joe says >>
License registration and plates already cost a buttload in MI. Let’s just take $15 off the top for emissions certs every other year.
Emission certification use to be the law in MI. I remember getting my first car checked out when I was in HS. Yeah, we use to care.
Well then, you may ask, in who’s interest is it really is to not have emission checks in the state where the auto industry reigns supreme?
Hmmm….
I don’t need to think big, long and hard on that one. :), I can tell you it’s not people like you who sit behind these tail pipes, or have to suck it in when you’re caught behind them on the rush hour bumper to bumper.
One of the most wtf things for me is why cops can’t just pull these obvious violators of common breathing sense over and give their car a smogalizer test, just like you’d give a suspected drunk a breathilizer test.
==> if your car is drunk on blue smoke, it get’s a heavy fix it ticket, or impounding even better. 🙂
oh, that’s just my simple thoughts.
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