A BREATH OF FRESH AIR

A BREATH OF FRESH AIR
Philadelphia Inquirer: The Bush administration stood up to industry -- for a change -- in the interest of cleaner air.
Refusing to bow to trucking manufacturers and Republican lawmakers, including Speaker of the House J. Dennis Hastert, the administration this month approved hefty fines on makers of diesel engines that don't reduce their emissions by October.
The decision rightly rewards manufacturers such as Cummins Inc. and Mack Trucks, which decided years ago to comply with new emissions rules. It spanks others, such as Caterpillar Inc., which tried to sue their way out their responsibility.
Even though diesels make up only 12 percent of vehicles in the United States, they cause 34 percent of nitrogen-oxide emissions, which cause smog. The Environmental Protection Agency predicts the new rules could prevent 8,300 deaths annually.
See, Mr. Bush? Enforcing rules that safeguard public health isn't that hard.
No one travels to a national park to sit in a traffic jam. Sadly, that's what's happening in too many of America's popular treasures. Visitors to Zion National Park in Utah once spent more time finding a parking place than hiking the spectacular trails. Not anymore. Two years ago, Zion banned cars and launched a fleet of quiet, propane-powered shuttles. Acadia National Park in Maine has a similar system.
Revived wildlife
By relying on mass transit, both parks have reduced traffic congestion, improved air quality, and revived wildlife. Congress should grant the National Park Service's request for $60.4 million a year over the next decade to upgrade mass transit elsewhere. Then tourists can leave the traffic at home.
The tragedy of Sept. 11 offered an unexpected opportunity for climatologists. For three days after the terrorist attacks, the skies were empty of planes. It was a rare glimpse into climate 50 years ago -- before widespread commercial air travel. Scientists were able to gather the first hard data to analyze the effects of tens of thousands of airplane vapor trails left behind every day.
The conclusion? Human activity is most certainly changing weather, in this case by affecting the temperature fluctuation between night and day.
FORCING DIGITAL TELEVISION
St. Petersburg Times: Think your television set offers a clear picture and quality sound? That's not good enough for federal regulators.
Impatient for the TV industry to go digital, the Federal Communications Commission voted recently to require television manufacturers to equip all sets with digital tuners by July 2007. Televisions with screens 35-inches or larger must have the device by July 2004, while the requirement for smaller sets will be phased in over the following three years.
The FCC is already requiring most TV stations to convert by December 2006 from existing analog technology to more efficient digital transmission. To receive the signals after broadcasters switch, TVs will need a digital tuner or a set-top box, which receives the digital signal and converts it to a signal the set will understand.
Digital television does offer a variety of options not possible under the analog system. Digital signals can carry high-definition television broadcasts, which greatly improve picture and sound. But the system's benefits aren't so affordable.
Costly proposition
The Consumer Electronics Association, a trade group for the industry, estimated that installing a digital tuner in a television would add $250 to the price tag -- doubling or tripling the cost of small sets. Buying a set-top box to receive digital programming now runs about $450 or more, although industry experts expect the prices will drop once the technology becomes mass produced.
Many consumers will end up paying for an extra they likely won't use. The digital system directly affects about 15 percent of the population -- those who pick up TV signals with rabbit ears or outdoor antennaes. Most Americans rely on cable or satellite systems for their television, rather than over-the-air broadcast signals.
All but two TV makers are opposed to the FCC decision. Most plan to appeal it in federal court. The only television manufacturers who support the ruling also stand to profit from it. Thomson Multimedia, maker of RCA brand electronics, and Zenith own some of the patents behind the tuners and could earn royalties for every one sold.