Issues
Average car-truck fuel-economy standards rise to 27.3 mpg
March 29, 2009
By John Hughes
Cars must average 30.2 mpg under the rule, up from 27.5 required under current law, which runs out after 2010. Light trucks will average 24.1, up from 23.5 mpg for 2010 models. The December 2007 energy law called for vehicles to meet a 35 mpg standard by 2020 models, a 40% increase from the average in 2008.
Source: Vehicle fuel efficiency standard going up
March 26, 2009
The Obama administration has said it only had two months to produce the 2011 rules, which are required by April 1 to give car companies enough time to plan their vehicle lineup.
Government: Gas mileage rise in 2008 vehicles
Sept. 19, 2008
By Ken Thomas
Environmental groups said the report reflected a lack of good options among many vehicle categories. In the larger truck segments, for example, there was little difference in fuel efficiency among the best performers and the mediocre ones.
The air runs out of run-flat tires
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Rick Kranz Congress extends US clean energy shiftCarbonpositive.net Nov. 24, 2008 Democrats, who control the numbers in Congress, have voted to install Henry Waxman as chairman of the powerful House of Representatives’ Energy and Commerce Committee, a man who promises a more proactive focus on climate, clean energy and reducing greenhouse gas emissions than his predecessor, John Dingell….“The champion of the environment has replaced the champion of the automotive industry,” Daniel Becker, a lawyer with the Safe Climate Campaign, told Bloomberg. Coal, electric industries big winners in climate-bill dealBy Mike Lillis May 20, 2009 The compromise also waters down the so-called cash-for-clunkers program…Daniel Becker, director of the Safe Climate Campaign, said the program does much more to help struggling automakers sell large, unpopular models than it does to reduce greenhouse emissions. Critics Say ‘Clunkers’ Program Isn’t Very Green
All Things Considered By Christopher Joyce Aug. 3, 2009 Mr. DAN BECKER (Safe Climate Campaign): The problem is the auto industry hijacked this law, so it doesn’t get the better ones on the road. All it does is replace old clunkers with new clunkers. Hear it here… Is Obama Out of Bounds on Climate Change?BNET.com May 22, 2009 By Jim Motavalli According to Becker, “The EPA and the Department of Transportation are working up standards to achieve the 35.5-mpg goal. It’s a goal. And the President also instructed the EPA to determine whether carbon dioxide [CO2, the major global warming gas] is a threat to health and welfare. That opened the door to allow regulation, and empowers the agency to reduce carbon emissions.” |
