GM Pauses RWD Car Development

Global warming enthusiasts may chalk it up as a victory, but the car world (and the legal world too) can now see tangible evidence that the Supreme Court's flawed ruling on CO2 emissions will have immediate fallout.

GM vice chairman Bob Lutz told the Chicago Tribune that GM already has paused development on rear-drive vehicles as a result of the decision, which compels the EPA to think about calling CO2 a pollutant or risk being sued. Supposedly the Camaro is still proceeding in GM's plans, but plans for big Buicks and Cadillacs are in wait-and-see mode as the CO2 tort wends its way through the court system.

You know where we (or some of we) stand on the issue by now. The ruling, divided on political lines (wait, where's our surprised face?) equates a natural emission with toxic substances, without the benefit of conclusive scientific proof - which even scientists who believe in global warming admit is not forthcoming. And in this latest edition of realpolitik, SUV exhaust is ten times more sinful than the energy required to steam your latte to frothy perfection.

Keep commenting as you've been doing on our Newsweek post from yesterday. We've got a piece on the Prius vs. HUMMER debate for this week, and we're at work on more while we greet the chilly 55-degree morning here. It's only 20 degrees below average, but it's an adequate cushion for the next century, don't you think?

GM puts brake on rear-drive vehicles | Chicago Tribune via Winding Road