The Big Apple’s eco-friendly taxi initiative has come to a screeching halt. US District Judge Paul Crotty has ruled against the effort to turn yellow taxies green by 2012 because regulations for fuel emissions fall under federal authority. Last December, New York City’s Taxi and Limousine Commission mandated that all taxicabs be replaced with hybrid vehicles getting 25 miles per gallon or more. Despite the small bruise on the Big Apple, the city plans to appeal the judgment.