Calling for Cleaner Cars
March 9, 2009
Social Action
(3 comments)
By Rachel Cohen
(First posted on the RACblog)
Rachel Cohen is an Eisendrath Legislative Assistant at the Religious Action Center.
 Today I joined our Legislative Director, Barbara Weinstein, as she delivered testimony before the EPA on a critical set of greenhouse gas emissions regulations for cars and trucks. Though the hearing room was packed and speakers included dozens of experts from environmental, public health, consumer advocacy and auto industry groups, ours was the only faith voice in the room. And I am proud to say that we were there, speaking out for policies to protect our environment, our public health, and our national security today and in the future.
The case involves states' abilities to set stronger efficiency standards for cars to reduce their emissions of greenhouse gases and other pollutants. California, backed by 13 other states and the District of Columbia, regularly requests the right to set emissions standards for cars and light trucks that exceed national minimums under the Clean Air Act. For decades, the EPA has granted this waiver and allowed California to move ahead with its aggressive and progressive clean cars program. Since 20% of our nation's greenhouse gas emissions come from the transportation sector, and since U.S. autos produce more emissions than all sectors combined for many large developed nations, granting the waiver seems like a no-brainer. However, the waiver was denied by the EPA in 2008 after two years of delay, under claims that the Clean Air Act does not cover greenhouse gas emissions, and that California and the other states lacked a 'compelling and extraordinary' interest in setting higher standards.
 Luckily, in one of his first acts in office, President Obama asked the EPA to reconsider the case, and we are hopeful that EPA will soon grant the waiver and allow California to lead the way to stronger emissions standards for automobiles. The urgency of addressing unchecked emissions becomes clearer by the day, and our window to act against climate change is closing. Increasing automobile efficiency is critical to building a green economy and hitting the 80% emissions reductions targets for greenhouse gases that leading scientists say we must meet to avoid the worst impacts of climate change.
The case is open for public comment until April 6, so anyone can go online to the EPA website for instructions on how to voice their opinions on the matter, and see this sample petition from the Repower America campaign for ideas. We will be following the case as it moves forward, and encourage you to do so as well!
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The Pickens Plan, developed by famed oil man and philanthropist T. Boone Pickens, is a visionary effort to make America energy independent using all options which take us off of foreign oil, including solar, wind, natural gas, nuclear and geothermal. See www.pickensplan.com. We cannot afford to wait while work goes forward to develop electric and hybrid vehicles which can dramatically reduce our foreign energy dependence, and clean the air while reducing the dollars flowing to Fidel Castro friend and communist sympathizer like Hugo Chavez, and other anti-American regimes which deny freedom to their people and threaten peace and stability like Iran and Sudan or who support anti-modern, anti-Enlightenment forms of Islam like Saudi Arabia. The amount of oil which we import has risen from 24% in 1970 to almost 70% today, and the percentage is still rising. We import more oil daily (12 million barrels) than Saudi Arabia produces.
By developing the technology for cleaner energy, we can also help revive our economy. As Thomas Friedman pointed out in Hot, Flat and Crowded, if we let other nations, like China, become the leaders in research and development in this area, they will gain a critical advantage over us.