Posted by
BLOGASSAULT on Friday, November 28, 2008 3:56:07 PM
Environmental activists and union bosses are known for their rancor. They have historically held opposite positions on key issues -- drilling in fragile environments, nuclear power, logging ancient forests -- pitting jobs against the environment.
But that was before the values of the environmental movement were adopted by mainstream society, before union membership began to plunge and manufacturing jobs were exported overseas.
This is all part of the California ports new regulations on diesel emissions.
The Clean Trucks program, which went into effect last month, will reduce cancer-causing diesel pollution by banning older trucks. In five years diesel trucks must meet 2007 clean-air standards to pick up cargo at both ports. And in 2012, trucking companies will be required, through concessionaire agreements, to employ all of their truckers to work at the port of Los Angeles.
Whether or not diesel emissions cause cancer is still
up for debate, but that doesn't stop the state of California.
This whole thing is really just the unions way of getting their paws around another industry, while also getting in good with some green groups. This also gets their foot in the door if/when large scale production of solar and wind energy come to pass.