The Environmental Protection Agency has granted California the right to enforce its first-in-the-nation standards curbing harmful greenhouse-gas emissions from light trucks and cars.

With the altered rules in place, California is set to cut emissions from new vehicles by 14 percent (from 2008 levels) by 2011. The District of Columbia and 13 other U.S. states plan to adopt the California rules.

It is presumed that California's emission guidelines will be congruent with the federal mileage standards put forth in May by the Obama administration, and both standards intend to cut emissions by 30 percent in 2016.

Of course, with the 2009 fleet of new cars and trucks already in compliance with the new rules, and with future makes slated to be as well, the ruling may prove more symbolic than anything.