At War Over Air Quality

Last year, a close friend sold his house here in Santa Barbara, California and moved to Santa Fe, New Mexico.  When I asked about his reasoning he explained that he thought the droughts, believed to be largely a product of climate change, would eventually bring down housing prices, and he wanted to sell before that happened.

Whether or not his prediction comes true is a matter of speculation, but he and his wife are very happy in their new home.  Knowing that I’m a sucker for French food and that Santa Barbara, for some reason, has something of a lack in this regard, he asked, “Want to guess how many French restaurants we have in Santa Fe?  FIVE.”  New Mexico, at least its urban locales, really is a surprisingly sophisticated part of the country.

That’s why we shouldn’t be too shocked that the so-called “Land of Enchantment” has become the 15th state to spurn the federal government and adopt California’s strict tailpipe emissions standards.  Predictably, the Trump administration is in court, suing California and the other states to force them to comply with its relaxed set of standards.

If it seems strange that a country’s federal government is insisting that the people in 50 of its states suffer from dirtier air than they would like, that’s probably because you live elsewhere, perhaps in a land where common sense and decency prevail.  In that regard, we Americans envy you.