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Using small, gas-powered equipment like leaf blowers and generators ends up being much worse for the environment than driving a car for the same amount of time, which is why California’s Air Resources Board pushed state politicians to take action.The new law, AB 1346, will require the state to adopt regulations around these gas-powered tools by July 1, 2022, and ban their sale by the start of 2024, if the board determines it is feasible.Oh, and we should mention: the photo at top is not from California. It shows a member of Team Going Commando participating in a 12-hour lawn-mower endurance race in England in 2018. Try that with an electric leaf blower.How dirty is the bestselling gas-powered leaf blower? CARB says if you use it for an hour, it emits as much smog-forming pollution as a 2016 Toyota Camry does driving for 1100 miles. That explains why California has passed a new ban on highly polluting small engines, setting up for quieter and cleaner lawn work across the state starting in 2024. The new law takes aim at the small off-road engines (which the bill poetically calls SOREs) that can be found in residential and commercial lawn and garden equipment, federally regulated construction and farming equipment, and other machines such as generators. The new law was driven, in part, by the efforts of the powerful California Air Resources Board (CARB), which has worked for decades to clean up the state’s air. CARB says there are almost three million more small engines in California than light-duty passenger cars (16.5 million vs. 13.7 million). CARB makes a good case for the need to regulate these SOREs, given that the lack of pollution control devices on the machines that use SOREs emit way more pollution than a passenger car over the same time period.

CARB says that using the “bestselling commercial lawn mower” for an hour emits as much smog-forming pollution as you would by driving a 2016 Toyota Camry around 300 miles. Leaf blowers can be even worse, with the “bestselling commercial leaf blower” emitting the equivalent amount of smog-forming pollution that that same Camry would do over 1100 miles. SOREs emit high levels of oxides of nitrogen (NOx), reactive organic gases (ROG) and particulate matter (PM), the law’s sponsors say, all of which negatively impact human health.

California Air Resources Board

“Small gas engines are not only bad for our environment and contributing to our climate crisis, they can cause asthma and other health issues for workers who use them,” said one of the legislation’s co-sponsors, Assemblywoman Lorena Gonzalez, in a statement. “It’s time we phased out these super polluters, and help small landscaping businesses transition to cleaner alternatives.”The law, AB 1346, requires the state board to “adopt cost-effective and technologically feasible regulations to prohibit engine exhaust and evaporative emissions” from SOREs by July 1, 2022. The rules that will be written next year will then apply to any engines built on or after January 1, 2024 (or, if that deadline is deemed not feasible by the state board, some later date). The board will determine the technological feasibility of this rule by taking into consideration not just the emissions from the SOREs themselves, but also how easy it is to purchase zero-emission off-road equipment and any increased demand on the electric grid by shifting millions of outdoor devices to electric power. Similar to how CARB supported efforts to shift drivers to plug-in vehicles, the new law says that the state board shall, “to the extent feasible,” offer up commercial rebates or some similar sort of incentive program to people buying the new, zero-emission equipment. The bill provides for $30 million to be spent on incentives to help people and businesses purchase zero-emission machines.The new SORE law will not affect the sale of most gas-powered recreational vehicles like ATVs and dirt bikes. CARB’s official definition of SOREs says they are “spark-ignition engines rated at or below 19 kilowatts,” or 25 horsepower, and most off-road recreational equipment uses more powerful engines. CARB has also been regulating off-highway recreational vehicles since 1994 and currently groups machines that have 25-hp or greater engines, like specialty vehicles and go-karts, into a system of “large spark-ignition engine” regulations.
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The Si version of the 11th-generation Honda Civic will arrive later this year.Power once again comes from a 1.5-liter turbo, now with a broader powerband.Honda is helping to #SavetheManuals by only offering the 2022 Civic Si with a six-speed manual transmission. Honda’s 11th-generation Civic gains another version with the arrival of the performance-oriented Civic Si. Debuting solely in sedan form, the 2022 Civic Si once again features a turbocharged 1.5-liter four-cylinder mated exclusively to a six-speed manual transmission. It’s now wrapped in a handsome-looking package that’s slightly lower, longer, and wider than before.

The 1.5-liter gains a lighter single-mass flywheel that’s 26 percent lighter than the dual-mass unit found in the previous-gen Civic Si. While power is down 5 horsepower to an even 200, it’s now more usable, reaching that figure at a heady 6000 rpm and dipping only slightly until the 6500-rpm redline. Peak torque now arrives at 1800 rpm—300 revs earlier than the old mill—and holds steady at 192 pound-feet until 5000 rpm. The front wheels convert the power into momentum, aided by a standard helical limited-slip differential. The six-speed features 10-percent-shorter throws and Honda promises improved shift feel, too. A standard rev-matching mode is pilfered from the current Civic Type R.
The engine now exhales through a new exhaust system, which we hope will rectify our complaints about the sound. The Si’s exhaust system flow is increased 27 percent over that of the 2022 Civic sedan, Honda says. Both tailpipes loop right before the tips, allowing the exhaust to bang around a little longer and louder before exiting into the atmosphere. The Civic Si’s drive mode now includes a programmable individual setting, enabling the driver to adjust things like throttle response, rev matching, and steering effort. With a wider track and longer wheelbase compared to the previous generation, the Civic Si promises greater stability at high speeds. Front and rear compliance bushings are also sourced from the Type R. Steering feel should be improved, facilitated by a stiffer torsion bar connected to the rack. Standard 18-inch wheels feature all-season rubber, with summer tires optional. The Civic Si also features larger brakes and thicker stabilizer bars compared to the standard Civic.
In terms of appearance, the Civic Si differentiates itself with a more aggressive front bumper, exposed exhaust tips, and a gloss-black trunk-mounted spoiler. Gloss black trim also covers the mirrors and window surrounds. The well-bolstered front seats offer additional thigh and shoulder support, along with a longer lower cushion and integrated headrests. Red contrasting trim is used everywhere, brightening up the door panels, steering wheel, and shift boot, and also accentuates the trick honeycomb panel across the dash.Pricing has yet to be announced, but given that Honda has mainly held the line on increases with the rest of the new Civic lineup, we’re hoping that the Civic Si follows suit. If anything, we expect it to cost only slightly more than the previous model, which stickered at $26,195. Look for the 2022 Honda Civic Si at dealerships later this fall.

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Throughout the period of peak Station Wagon, the Ford Country Squire reigned supreme, while competitors such as the AMC Ambassador wagon played second (or third) fiddle. Which means that, today, cars like this 1971 Ambassador Brougham wagon are an even rarer sighting. For sale right now on Bring a Trailer, this suburban schooner is nonetheless a superb time machine.

Bring a Trailer

Chiefly, that’s because we haven’t seen one in this condition since the Nixon Administration. According to the listing, the car has had some paintwork and benefits from some re-chroming. The work appears to be to a high standard, and the condition overall is remarkable. From the woodgrain, to the interior, to the wheels and (yes!) whitewall tires, there’s nothing here that betrays the fact that it was 50 years ago when this bad boy rolled off the line as the pride of Kenosha, Wisconsin.

Bring a Trailer

Bring a Trailer

Then there’s the spec. Granted, Golden Lime Metallic is dangerously close to the Wagon Queen Family Truckster’s Metallic Pea, but it is also perfectly period-correct. So, too, is the green vinyl interior, even if the contrast between the two greens seems awkward to our modern, all-grayscale sensibilities. The sweeping woodgrain is another essential, and we’re digging the rally wheels, too. This deluxe wagon also comes with factory air conditioning—note the Desert Only max setting. The lazy V-8 under the hood is AMC’s 360-cubic-inch unit, hooked to a three-speed automatic, just as God intended.This AMC provides the same Wonder Years flashback as the Fords and Chevys of the era. And, at long last, Ambassador finally got its due; it sold on October 18, after 27 bids on the Bring a Trailer site, for $27,000.

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