California is suing the US Environmental Protection Agency in a bid to
overturn a ruling that ethanol must be added to automotive fuel sold in most of
the state. In June, the EPA insisted that ethanol must replace the fuel additive
MTBE, which California is phasing out because it causes water pollution
(see “Going up in smoke”).
The state and environmental groups had argued that improved technology
meant such additives were not needed. Frank O’Donnell of the Clean Air Trust
called the EPA’s move “an astonishingly bad decision”, as ethanol can also
pollute. Democratic governor Gray Davis says the decision is political: ethanol
is made with corn from Midwestern states which, unlike California, voted for
Bush last November.
More from New Scientist
Explore the latest news, articles and features
91ɫÇéƬ
Less than 4 minutes of vigorous exercise a day could halve your dementia risk
News
91ɫÇéƬ
Parkinson’s may be driven by ‘vicious cycle’ that disrupts brain waste drainage
News
Space
Hubble Space Telescope is falling to Earth – should NASA save it?
News
Space
A robot called GIMLI will explore a lunar cave for a future moon base
91ɫÇéƬ
Popular articles
Trending New Scientist articles