A New Front in the Fuel Fight

A taxi driver fills up his cab with compressed natural gas.

So far, 16 other states have adopted or are moving to adopt California's greenhouse gas standard. They include "a nice color mix of red and blue states, and together they make up 45 percent of the new car fleet," says David Doniger, head of the Natural Resources Defense Council's climate program. "This could become the de facto standard that governs the whole country."

Automakers last week lost their second federal court challenge to California. Schwarzenegger has taken the Bush administration to court for unreasonable delay on the waiver decision and has vowed to "sue again and sue again" until California wins. Add that Terminator-like determination to $3-per-gallon gasoline and national security worries about oil, and it's a safe bet that cars and SUVs with better gas mileage will be coming soon to a showroom near you.