(Its Jammin Friday but don’t tell anyone – http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x0d1HilfLxA )

But I post the title and what follows just to show the difference between a forward looking country concerned about the world and a backward looking State like Illinois as best exemplified by the

ILLINOIS ENVIRONMENTAL REGULATORY GROUP.

You would think with a name like that they would be concerned about the environment, right? But in the never never land that is Springfield they are more concerned about keeping profits high and the STATE at bay.

http://www.upi.com/Business_News/2007/05/23/Norway-could-ban-gasoline-powered-cars/UPI-94421179951119/

I also find it interesting that I had to go to the second GOOGLE page to get remotely close to the original article published in 2007 by UPI

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OSLO, Norway, May 23 (UPI) — Norwegian lawmakers are working on a proposal that could lead to a ban on the sale of gasoline-powered cars, a published report said Wednesday.

Ruling Labor, Socialist Left and Center party members of the Parliament’s transportation committee have aired the proposal, and the Transport Ministry is determining if such a ban would be legal, Oslo’s Verdens Gang newspaper reported.

“This is not a problem to arrange,” Labor transportation committee member Truls Wickstrom said. “In Brazil over 80 percent of cars sold run on bioethanol.”

“Most of the major car makers are banking on flexi-fuel,” Wickstrom said.

A flexible-fuel vehicle, or dual-fuel vehicle, has two fuel tanks and can alternate between, for instance, gasoline and bioethanol, also known as gasohol.

Banning sales of gasoline-powered cars “would pressure the automobile industry into developing technology faster than it otherwise would,” Center Party committee member Jenny Klinge said.

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( http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T58A2w61dD4&feature=related )

http://www.thetruthaboutcars.com/norway-considers-banning-petrol-powered-cars/

So this was 2 years ago at least:

Norway Considers Banning Petrol-Powered

Cars

By Frank Williams
October 12, 2007

No seriously. The Kingdom of Norway may become the first nation on God’s green Earth to ban all gasoline-only cars. Citing Brazil’s success with bioethanol as their rationale, Norwegian lawmakers are considering ditching petrol-only machines completely, in favor of biofuel-powered transportation. The United Press International reports that Center Party committee member Jenny Klinge feels banning sales of gasoline-powered cars to her country’s 4.7m residents “would pressure the automobile industry into developing technology faster than it otherwise would.” The Norwegian Transport ministry is trying to determine if such a ban would be legal. Meanwhile, Norway’s many corn, soybean, and sugar cane farmers are excited about the prospects of a new market for their crops.

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But here is IERG’s response if you believe Deedee Hirner Executive Director:

http://www.sj-r.com/archive/x1098184794/Letters-to-the-Editor-April-26

Making ‘polluters’ pay a disingenuous idea
Ron Burke’s suggestion for solving Illinois’ budget woes (“OK clean-energy law to help achieve 2 goals,” April 15) sounds painless — “making polluters pay.” He offers this, rather than increasing taxes, to raise billions to shore up state revenues. We believe Burke’s suggestion is disingenuous.

“Polluting businesses” provide gasoline to fuel our cars, electricity for light, heat, computers and high-def televisions, laundry detergents, beverage sweeteners and toothpaste. “Polluters” provide products that we, the consumers, demand. To promote “they” will pay more while “we” pay less is nothing more than a verbal shell game.

Burke states that Illinois is a significant contributor to global warming, and it is time to take responsibility for our emissions. We note that since 1980, Illinois’ population has increased 32 percent, vehicle miles traveled increased 101 percent and energy consumption increased 29 percent, while overall emissions decreased 49 percent.

Further, according to the World Resources Institute that facilitated the Illinois Climate Change Advisory Group’s work, since 1990, greenhouse gas emissions in the transportation and residential sectors increased 18 percent and 3 percent, respectively, while those in the industrial energy sector decreased by 14 percent. It would appear that Illinois industry already has, to paraphrase Burke, seized the opportunity to get ahead of the curve.

Congress is expected to act soon on climate-change legislation. We believe the federal, not single- or five-state regional level, is the appropriate place for action. Burke implies opposition to regional regulation stems from a desire to hide. We strongly disagree — over-arching national policy evens the playing field for business and industry across all states.

Finally, a clean-energy law cannot achieve two goals. Proponents of charging for emissions to reduce global warming advocate that fees be revenue neutral. Revenue is not to be retained by government to solve budgets woes, but refunded to energy users to mitigate “negative impacts,” or provide incentives to reduce CO2 emissions.

Deirdre K. Hirner
Executive director
Illinois Environmental
Regulatory Group
Springfield

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( http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3kXj1hmDI7Q&feature=related )

Yah THESE PEOPLE

http://www.ierg.org/

REGULATORY GROUP

IERG’s primary objective is the development and negotiation of environmental regulations and laws in Illinois. IERG is committed to the principle that environmental regulation and policy be grounded on sound science and produce demonstrated environmental improvements commensurate with the costs involved for compliance.

Because of the diversity of these regulations – and the way in which responsibilities are spread over state government – IERG is involved with an ever expanding universe of state agencies and departments. To this end, IERG expends effort to actually draft both regulatory language and detailed comments on proposals put forth by the regulatory agencies. On behalf of IERG members, staff is involved early in the effort to provide sound and technically defensible input throughout the regulatory, policy or legislative process.

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That Hang out with THESE PEOPLE:

(Expanded Members)

Abbott Laboratories Robert Wells Ameren Services Company Michael L. Menne Archer-Daniels-Midland Company Mark E. Calmes   Atlantic Richfield Company Thomas G. Tunnicliff Aventine Renewable Energy, Inc. Steve Antonacci Bunge North America, Inc. Loren L. Polak   Buzzi Unicem USA, Inc. Kathy Brady Cabot Corporation Amy Clyde Caterpillar Inc. Patricia Ludewig  Chrysler Corporation Mark Werthman CITGO Petroleum Corporation Matthew W. Klickman Cognis Corporation Maureen Haller Commonwealth Edison Company Lorinda Alms   Conooco Phillips Petroleum Company Gina P. Nicholson Corn Products International, Inc. Alan L. Jirik Deere & Company James Nitzschke   Dominion Kincaid Generation, LLC Al Rinozzi The Dow Chemical Company Bill Pedersen Duke Energy Patrick Coughlin Dynegy Midwest Generation Rick Diericx Electric Energy, Inc. Bruce Parker Equistar Chemical, LP Robert Steele ExxonMobil Corporation Robert S. Elvert   Flint Hills Resource,. LLC Gale Newton Flint Hills Resources (Huntsman) Mary Steinbach  G.E. Plastics Timothy Thompson

General Mills Theodore M. Slavik   Illinois Cement Gene Hodges Kinder Morgan Inc. Thomas J. Bach Lonza Inc. Robert E. Miller Marathon Petroleum Company LLC Alan Mayo MGP Ingredients Bob Taphorn Midwest Generation EME, LLC Basil G. Constantelos   Morris Cogeneration, L.L.C. Carolyn Gibson Nicor Gas Company Somali Tomczak Nucor Steel Kankakee, Inc. Ray Smith Olin Corporation Phillip Sutton ONDEO Nalco Company Mary Lee   Peabody Coal Bryce West Peoples Energy Michael Jouras Prairie Power, Inc. Randy Fisher S & C Electric Company Robert Sullivan   The Sherwin-Williams Company Paul Barding    The Solae Company Mark Sheppard Southern Illinois Power Cooperative Dick Myott   Springfield City Water, Light & Power William A. Murray Stepan Company Daniel J. Muno Sterling Steel Company,  LLC David Long Tate & Lyle Richard Dickinson United States Steel Granite City Works Larry Siebenberger   Viscofan USA, Inc. Jack Webster Waste Management, Inc. Lisa Disbrow

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(Expanded Executive Committee)

Chairman & Manufactured Equipment, Materials,             David Long Vice Chairman & Transportation, Equipment & Services Sector  Patricia Ludewig Secretary & Chemicals Sector Anu Singh   Treasurer & Oil Sector  Bob Elvert

Utilities Sector Rick Diericx Past Chairman & Food & Pharmaceutical Sector           Alan Jirik President & CEO, The Illinois Chamber Doug Whitley IERG Executive Director Deirdre K. Hirner

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Why don’t I just write a Letter to the Editor?  The State Journal Register quit printing mine.

( http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=79UU8kcEG5I  )

Nuff said.

( http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N3jhja8rIMc&feature=related )
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