British Columbians’ are about to breath a little easier and head down the road to a cleaner British Columbia and world today. Emission standards for BC’s vehicles will soon equal the measures currently in place in California, but don’t worry, like governor Schwarzenegger, British Columbians’ will, still, be able to buy the pimped Hummer they always wanted.

BC’s Environmental Minister Barry Penner recently unveiled legislation adopting the strict tailpipe standards currently existing in America’s richest state, which were originally designed to reduce California’s greenhouse gas emissions by 30 percent relative to the current vehicles being manufactured.

Apparently, the new regulations, once in place, will not restrict current consumers and dealerships, but will instead force manufacturers to meet the new stricter emission standards for fleet vehicles that will not rely on any new technology and is therefore easier and less costly to implement.

Experts point out that manufacturers selling automobiles in BC could already have met these standards if they had marketed more hybrid vehicles, which would lower their fleet-average emission rate, and they could still offer the larger and higher performing vehicles, many British Columbian’s still want to buy. The new rules will also created a two tiered system of fleet vehicles, one for passenger cars and small trucks, and another for the larger trucks, SUV’s and vehicle with work applications.

California has had these regulations in since 2004 and has reported a noticeable decrease in greenhouse gas emissions within their state boundaries, and more states, provinces in Canada and counties in the world will be adopting similar regulations in the years to come.

Societies, industry, and businesses acceptance of the coming changes in BC’s environmental rules concerning greenhouse emissions from vehicles is a necessary change if we are to change the environmental truths we as humans are facing today.

BC will be introducing additional bills in the coming months to try to meet the new carbon trading system being implemented for industries, North America’s first comprehensive carbon tax on fossil fuels, requirements for five per cent ethanol and biodiesel in all vehicle fuels, and requirements for municipalities to offer incentives to higher-density developments and transit.

Yes, life as British Columbians’ is about to change drastically, but then I think we all knew, considering the environmental truths, it was only a matter of time.