The Hummer Hybrid is here!

Well, not really, but this article makes a few valid points:

Forget about the 250 gallons of gas that a Prius saves relative to a Corolla. An S.U.V. that gets 16 miles a gallon, like the Cadillac SRX, uses almost 600 fewer gallons annually than an 11-mile-a-gallon Hummer H2, because small differences add up when gas is being burned so quickly. It's the person deciding between those two vehicles who needs some extra incentives.

Basically, CAFE standards make it easier for companies to produce gas guzzlers as long as they sell few hybrids along the way. It's convincing people not to drive combat vehicles, however, that we should be focussing on. Really, though, the majority of cars on the road still are midsize sedans and those could all be more fuel efficient so helping the hybrid still is an OK strategy to pursue.

Meanwhile, Roger Pielke picks up on the semantic similarities of Dick Cheney and the head of the NRDC these days, which are striking. But c'mon: in 2001 Cheney basically said go ahead and do it if it makes you feel better, but our official policy will be to put as many obstacles in your way as we possibly can; Coifman is saying that we've always realized that market strategies are important for reducing consumption, which is why we were always in favor of a gradual gas tax increase. Semantically similar, but thematically opposite.