From our Saturday edit :

The Bush administration was once again ticketed for driving too slowly on the energy reform highway. Playing the part of trooper this time was the U.S. 9th Circuit Court of Appeals, which slapped down a rule change last year that failed to close a loophole that allows lower fuel mileage standards for popular sport utility vehicles than passenger cars.

Last year, the National Highway and Safety Administration tweaked the average mileage standard for SUVs, pick-up trucks and minivans, raising it from 22.2 miles per gallon to 23.5 mpg by 2010. The standard for passenger vehicles is 5 mpg higher. That change was challenged as “trivial,” and the appeals court agreed. It also noted that the rule change did not sufficiently take into account greenhouse gas emissions. Plus, it kept in place outright exemptions for the largest of SUVS, such as Hummers.