Latest news with #EnergyPolicyandConservationActof1975
Daily Maverick
04-06-2025
- Automotive
- Daily Maverick
Loaded for Bear: Would left turns on red lights safely cut SA's fuel usage?
One of the many upshots of the Arab oil embargo in 1973 — aside from stagflation and the beginning of the end of blue-collar prosperity — was that it triggered a major traffic reform in North America: the right turn on right light or RTOR. In 1973, Arab members of the Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries (Opec) imposed an embargo on the US because of its support for Israel during the Yom Kippur War. Canada was also hit hard by this embargo, and I can recall from my childhood in Nova Scotia sitting with my parents in long queues at petrol stations. One of the many upshots of this drama — aside from stagflation and the beginning of the end of blue collar-prosperity — was that it triggered a major traffic reform in North America: the right turn on right light or RTOR. The thinking behind it was that it would save on the consumption of petrol — or gas as it is called in North America — by allowing motorists to make a right turn on a red light if the coast was clear rather than waiting another 20 or 40 or 60 seconds while their engine idled. For a single outing to work or the grocery store or wherever, that would not amount to much. But multiplied millions or tens of millions of times per day, savings were seen to be had in a time of chronic shortages and soaring prices. The Energy Policy and Conservation Act of 1975 required states to allow right turns on red lights to be eligible for federal assistance for mandated conservation programmes. It was an energy-saving and green policy at a time when even Republicans were not opposed to environmental regulations. Straightforward The rules are pretty straightforward. If you want to turn right you treat the red light as a stop sign, coming to a complete stop and making sure there is no traffic coming from your left before proceeding. At some intersections, a sign will say that right turns on red lights are not allowed at certain times of the day such as during rush-hour traffic. North Americans of course drive on the right-hand side of the road, so in South Africa such a reform would allow for left turns on red robots. When this correspondent first came to South Africa in 1998, it took me a while to realise that I was not, in fact, allowed to make a left turn when the light was red. So, would such a reform be sensible in South Africa? South Africa does not face a crisis in petrol supplies — at least, not yet! — and declining fuel prices have been a key driver of slowing inflation, though the fuel levy hike will arrest that promising trend somewhat. But every drop counts and South Africa also needs to reduce its emissions of the greenhouse gases that are fuelling rapid climate change. It must be said that in North America there has been some questioning of this rule of the road on both fuel saving and safety grounds. One 2024 study by researchers at the Mineta Transportation Institute at San Jose State University found that '… RTOR movements are generally unsafe for pedestrians, bicyclists, and drivers, while only marginally useful in lowering emissions and only under certain contexts. Those marginal benefits may further decline with increased electric vehicle (EV) adoption.' Given the carnage on South Africa's roads, policy makers would need to think twice about introducing a measure that would make driving even more treacherous. Dangerous and reckless driving There is a lot of dangerous and reckless driving in South Africa, and minibus taxi drivers spring immediately to mind. How many of them would come to complete stops and make sure it is safe to execute a left turn at a red robot? I am guessing not that many and they are hardly the only menace on South Africa's roads. Also, to make a left turn on a red robot you need functioning robots in the first place. Many South African drivers don't seem to get the point that a traffic light that is not working at an intersection — a frequent occurrence — should be treated like a four-way stop. Such situations are often treated like a game of chicken and chaos, horns blaring, middle-fingers extended and road rage are often the result. Imagine the stoners who try to make a buck out of this chaos by 'directing' traffic when the robots die trying to also navigate a left turn rule. Still, I often grow impatient when I am at a functioning robot and could safely turn left but am prohibited from doing so. (Full disclosure — I sometimes do it. I did learn to drive in Canada.) I am sure many South African motorists feel the same. But come to think of it, given how the rules of the road in South Africa are so frequently violated, maybe the left turn on the red light is fairly common anyway. And maybe, some day, South African motorists will be overwhelmingly careful and law abiding, allowing for a left turn at a red light to be made legal with relative safety. I don't think EVs are going to rule the roads here any time soon and fuel needs to be saved — and greenhouse gas emissions slashed — by hook or by crook. DM
Fox News
12-02-2025
- Politics
- Fox News
CA Republicans urge Trump admin to fight state's attack on natural gas: 'It's sick'
California's top Republican leaders are asking the Trump administration "to intervene" against their own state's push to get rid of traditional energy sources, especially gas, with one lawmaker telling Fox News Digital the push to ban gas appliances was particularly "sick" of the state's liberal leadership. In a letter sent to the Department of Energy Secretary Christopher Wright, California Assembly Republican Leader James Gallagher and state Senate Minority Leader Brian Jones urged the DOE to look at California's efforts to "ban natural gas and gas appliances" and "evaluate these actions and their impact on issues of energy sufficiency, energy independence, and national security." "It's a sick philosophy that tells fire victims we're going to control how you build your home, we're going to tell you all the things that you can and cannot have," Gallagher told Fox News Digital in an exclusive interview. "This also has a lot of huge implications for the cost of living in California," Gallagher said. "Let's once and for all decide that you cannot ban gas appliances. People need these. They like having these. They're more affordable. Let's make sure that this is not going to get any further down the road." California has intensified efforts to phase out natural gas appliances in recent years for what lawmakers claim will cut greenhouse gas emissions and improve indoor air quality. In 2022, the California Air Resources Board (CARB) approved a plan to ban the sale of new gas-powered space and water heaters by 2030, requiring homes and businesses to transition to zero-emission alternatives like electric heat pumps. The state's 2023 energy code also encourages all-electric construction, making it more costly for developers to install gas appliances. "I hope the federal government weighs in and restores consumer choice in California," Gallagher said. "We should be able to choose whether or not we want electric or gas, and we especially need to make those choices so we can ensure that we can afford to live in this state, because right now, electricity, because of [Gov.] Gavin Newsom and the Democrats policies, has exploded the prices through the roof." The Republicans are also requesting that the DOE "engage legally with any California jurisdiction violating EPCA [Energy Policy and Conservation Act of 1975] in order to enforce the federal preemption of any state or local gas bans." "In light of these actions by a number of California state agencies, local governments, and regulatory bodies, we ask the Department of Energy to intervene where appropriate to overturn these overreaching policies," the letter stated. Meanwhile, President Donald Trump has directed the DOE to implement policies to bolster natural gas production and exports. Late last month, he signed an executive order declaring a national energy emergency, which includes measures to enhance domestic energy production. "Expanding consumer choice and removing burdensome restrictions on household appliances is a key component of President Trump's agenda for reducing costs for the American people," DOE spokesperson Ben Dietderich told Fox News Digital on Wednesday. While California — which has been a beacon of progressive environmental policies for other liberal states — participates in the federal government's Appliance Standards Program, in some cases, the state's stringent standards exceed federal requirements. Dietderich said the department is "conducting a comprehensive review and is working to advance a commonsense approach that prioritizes affordability and choice for all Americans" when asked about the California Republicans' letter. "Any standards should include a cost-benefit analysis considering the upfront cost of purchasing new products and reflecting actual cost savings for American families," Wright said in a statement last week while announcing his first secretarial order. More than 70 cities in the Golden State, starting with Berkeley in 2019, enacted local ordinances prohibiting natural gas hookups in new buildings. However, a 2024 federal court ruling overturned Berkeley's ban, prompting some municipalities to reconsider their policies. Meanwhile, the state legislature passed a bill requiring warning labels on gas stoves, citing health risks linked to indoor emissions. If signed into law, California would become the first state to ban gas appliances. And California's Democratic majority has the backing of Gov. Gavin Newsom. In recent years, Newsom signed laws restricting new oil and gas wells near certain sites and signed off on neighborhoods to transition to all-electric systems. Additionally, in December 2024, state regulators approved a plan to reduce reliance on a major natural gas storage facility. In a recent interview with CNN's Pamela Brown earlier this month, Newsom said homeowners who lost their homes in the Los Angeles wildfires "can't rebuild the same, so we have to rebuild with science, we have to rebuild with a climate reality in mind […]." Fox News Digital did not hear back from Newsom's office by time of publication.
