the Voice of
The Communist League of Revolutionary Workers–Internationalist
“The emancipation of the working class will only be achieved by the working class itself.”
— Karl Marx
Apr 12, 2021
Maryland officials propose to ease up on the vehicle emissions inspection program, letting buyers of new cars wait six years instead of three before having their exhaust tested.
Most drivers have to take their car or truck in every two years and wait on endless lines to have the emissions tested, and pay a fee. The program’s supposed aim is to reduce toxic smoke and gases that dangerously trap warm moisture in the atmosphere. But this program has put the responsibility for lessening pollution onto individual commuters.
As for the auto manufacturers, their new cars and trucks just had to meet very moderate federal emissions limits until 2010, and after that, the slightly less moderate limits effective in California. Heavier vehicles like trucks are allowed to pollute even more than cars.
Many new vehicles do pollute less, but they are so expensive that two out of three drivers in Maryland can’t afford to buy one. And what is the result? Air pollution is still high enough to ruin the climate.