West Palm Beach (HedgeCo.net) – The California Air Resources Board has adopted the world’s first Low Carbon Fuel Standard (LCFS), once implemented it can dramatically reduce the environmental impact of transportation, the Environmental Defense Fund says.

The Environmental Defense Fund believes the standard is an important hedge against higher, future conventional fuel prices. By helping develop better and cheaper alternative fuel production methods, low carbon fuels will become increasingly more affordable than gasoline as increasing crude oil prices take hold, the fund believes.

"While achieving the 2020 goal will require expenditures, this measure is an investment that will yield extensive returns through fuel diversification, increased resilience to fuel price fluctuations, independence from foreign fuel sources, and development of emerging businesses."

The low-carbon fuel standard is an important tool to help California transform its fuel mix. When coupled with an economy wide cap on emissions that includes the transportation sector, the California Low Carbon Fuel Standard represents the ultimately cost effective and technologically feasible way to transform our transportation sector and meet carbon reduction goals.

Environmental Defense Fund, a leading national nonprofit organization, represents more than 500,000 members. Since 1967, Environmental Defense Fund has linked science, economics, law and innovative private-sector partnerships to create breakthrough solutions to the most serious environmental problems.

Alex Akesson

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Detroit News – Several top officials in the Obama administration will tour the Washington Auto Show this week, getting a firsthand look at the auto industry’s newest offerings at a time when they are considering significant auto regulations.

Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Lisa Jackson, Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood and Carol Browner, White House coordinator for climate and energy policy, are to tour the show and meet with top auto industry officials, the White House confirmed late Sunday.

Rep. Ed Markey, D-Mass., chairman of the House Select Committee on Energy Independence and Global Warming, and Mary Nichols, chairwoman of the California Air Resources Board, also will attend, spokesmen for the pair confirmed. Sen. Barbara Boxer, D-Calif., chairwoman of the Environment and Public Works Committee, is also expected to attend.

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