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The Lockean Project

Diesel trucks

“Diesel trucks,” Monterey Herald – May 6, 2023

The California Air Resources Board, 16 members, are all appointed by Gov. Newsom, unelected and, unfortunately, I would say are technologically illiterate, having enormous power well beyond their expertise. The early 20th century Progressive Era envisioned delegated “experts,” empowered by a Congress, managing the implementation of general laws. But now we have ideologues thinking they can decree away the laws of physics and simply legislate the impossible.  Eliminating diesel combustion engines by fiat, for now, is nonsensical. The grid cannot handle the electricity needed, more than 80% of which now and for the foreseeable future, is necessarily fossil fuel generated.  This would power the batteries running the EVs. With what the horrendous pollution and immoral child-labor Africa mining entail, it will result in at best a net zero difference from gasoline/diesel engine CO2 but instead hobble the economy and impoverish the working people of California with unmanageable energy costs. The rapid increase by China alone in CO2, with their rapid expansion of coal plants, will more than eliminate any reduction by the entire elimination by U.S., already only less than 15% worldwide, even were that possible.

— Jack Knutson, Pebble Beach