California will ban the sale of new gasoline-powered cars to combat climate change starting in 2035, a move that could help reshape the nation’s automobile market and its output of greenhouse gases.
Source: California to ban sale of new gas-powered cars in 2035 under Newsom order – SFChronicle.com
The State that is currently unable to provide sufficient electricity to its people, will require that all new vehicles sold after 2035 be – basically – electric. Will be interesting to see how they solve the infrastructure challenge in just 14+ years. The State is presently building just half of a high speed rail system over a period of 25 years.
Related: I do not understand the full concept of Executive Orders. The report notes this mandate is done via Executive Order in order to bypass the Legislature and public input. That is not a democracy in action – that is an authoritarian and undemocratic government.
Separately, the SF Bay area Metropolitan Transportation Commission has voted to mandate that 60% of all workers must work from home – with exemptions for work that cannot be done from home.
Issues have been raised as to how this creates social isolation, difficulties for many people who do not have homes suitable for work, and wipes out large numbers of businesses and jobs that support workers downtown. It also treats those who already walk or take public transport to work the same as everyone else – they too would be required to work at home.
This lends credence to the conspiracy theories that say the pandemic policies have been intended as a trial run of sorts, to see what government can get away in the future.
My own state is moving slowly towards a pay-by-the-mile driving tax. It is available now as an option instead of annual vehicle registration taxes – an option that would double the annual taxes for driving my Honda Fit. Higher taxes are likely the main purpose.
Couple this with always connected cars (think Tesla and various other vehicles) and you can see where this is going – round the clock surveillance of everyone’s travels. Ostensibly, Google already tracks everyone – everywhere – but at least you can turn your phone off – probably can’t do that for connected cars.
Further, with the FAA proposing mandatory, real-time tracking of all radio controlled small hobby model aircraft, it seems at some point, government leaders might want us to file a vehicle “flight plan” and to seek permission for each trip we make. All for our own good, of course. We will be told this will be used to manage parking availability, or recreation destination resources. Police will, as they have done with today’s cell phone tracking, scoop up all of this data to put everyone within proximity of a police activity as a “suspect” until proven innocent, turning our judicial system on its head. Governments will know which political activities you have participated in. Worse, the collected data will be a mess of errors and interpretations.
