Some people say California is a bellwether for the way the rest of the way the rest of the country will go, and with the way the economy and budget deficits have been going, I'm inclined to agree. That said, the rest of you might want to head out and buy that big screen Hi-Def teevee while you still can:

In their continuing quest to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, state regulators have uncovered a new villain in the war on global warming : your big screen TV

Couch potatoes, beware.

The California Energy Commission is considering a proposal that would ban California retailers from selling all but the most energy-efficient televisions. Critics say the news standards could take 25 percent of televisions off the market — most of them 40 inches or larger.

"The larger the television, the more at risk it is of being banned unnecessarily in California," said Douglas Johnson, senior director of technology police for the Consumer Electronics Association.

Association officials say the standards are not only unnecessary – because the federal government already regulates energy efficiency through the voluntary Energy Star program — but also ill-timed. The last thing our economy needs now is products taken off the market, they say.

But it's FOR THE CHILDRENâ„¢ you selfish bastards! Who cares if we wreck the economy, so long as we can stop temperatures from going up 0.5 degrees over the next century? And besides, would you rather have a sweet teevee or ensure that your children's children will be able to enjoy the Arizona Hissing Dungbeetle and the Northwest Pacific Wart-Mottled Trout* in their natural habitats?

*May not be acutal species.

Posted by: Sean M. at 12:51 AM | Comments (4) | Add Comment
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