California drivers: Is this an urban legend?

[Archae]

Got this off another message board, two conservatives discussing what sounds like an urban legend to me.

(Post follows)

SD>I just heard that you cannot buy a black car in California anymore
SD>since black cars absorb more heat, you have to run the air
SD>conditioner more, therefore releasing more CO2 into the air.

SD>Someone please tell me that's not true before I die of laughter over
SD>here.

It would not surprise me. Both my Porsche and H2 are black. They are
less dangerous in bright sunlight because they are easier to see. Try
to pick out a white car in bright sun. Liberals don't care about
safety, just their agendas.

(End of post)

[Journeyman]

1. It's impossible for me to get either a black Porsche or an H2 in California. . .

the first because I don't have the money for one, the second because I'm not so stupid as to buy an H2 -- which you'd also have to be to believe such tripe.

Nothing against you, Archae, but there's nothing to this idiocy. The question to ask back is, how "less dangerous" is that black vehicle at night?

My but these people must have a surplus of time, they waste it on the most asinine pursuits.

[CreekDog]

2. they aren't banning black per se, but they are requiring minimum reflectivity levels for paint

to be phased in slowly. that's pretty hard to do with truly black paint so effectively you won't be able to buy a jet black car.

secondly, they are requiring almost all of the painting of vehicles to be done with water based paints, which will reduce smog (yes really) and hazardous waste from the painting process. the final coat of paint will still be oil based but the other coats being water based should make for a cleaner process overall.

these things will be phased in.

By the way, California's, automobile emissions standards are among the strongest in the world and have produced faster, more efficient cars that pollute many times less than they did previously.

Also, in Southern California, understand that reducing polluting activities even on the fine scale of paint shops and dry cleaners, results in far fewer emissions that turn into Ozone than would happen otherwise. there is so much development and activity in the Los Angeles Region that even small scale activities because there are so many people, buildings and cars result in a lot of ozone forming pollutants especially when combined with the natural summertime inversions and surrounding mountains that characterize the Southland.

[Kadie]

3. Here is some info...

Bunch of hot air? California isn't banning black cars
By Matt Nauman


Mercury News

Posted: 03/27/2009 04:52:08 PM PDT

Would California really ban black cars to fight global warming?

A rumor to that effect raised hackles on the blogosphere last week. Even conservative radio commentator Rush Limbaugh weighed in, urging listeners to rush out and buy a black car before they were pulled from the market.

But while a state agency was indeed mulling the relationship between automobile color and greenhouse gases, the rumored ban on black wasn't actually true.

"It's completely fallacious," said Stanley Young, a spokesman for the state's Air Resources Board, the agency supposedly behind the ban. "At no time was it mentioned, contemplated or proposed that we would ban or restrict any color."

The rumor arose as the board considered requiring reflective car paints and windshields. The premise was that a cooler car would require a driver to use less air conditioning, which would require less gasoline, which would mean fewer greenhouse-gas emissions.

more...
http://www.mercurynews.com/ci_12013592?source=rss

[proud patriot]

4. I see new cars/trucks which are black

I think it's an urban legend

[mackerel]

5. Go with white, it hides the dirt.

[Brother Buzz]

6. Silver hides dirt better than any other color

I don't know why, but it just does. :shrug:

[Xithras]

7. By 2012, all new cars will need to have a certain level of solar reflectivity.

So far, no paint manufacturer has come up with a truly black paint that meets the requirements.

They didn't ban black, they just set the bar so high that nobody has met it yet.

[Kerrytravelers]

8. As usual, they hear a snippet and then don't bother finding out the details.

[kestrel91316]

9. Total BS lie invented by RWers. Because they have too much time

on their hands these days.

[mackerel]

10. Black paint carries the least amount of lead.

[bemildred]

11. I just heard this rumor is utter horseshit. nt

[LeftyMom]

12. There's a luxury car dealer up the street from my house.

Almost half of their stock is black.