Manataka™ American Indian Council
Fuel Economy NHTSA did limit this implementation only to
the 2011 model year, enabling them to revise their implementation
strategy for future model years. UCS Washington Representatives Eli
Hopson and Lena Moffitt and UCS Senior Engineer Jim Kliesch have been
meeting with administration and agency officials, including Department
of Transportation Secretary LaHood, to discuss ways to ensure that
methodology for implementation is based on the most accurate engineering
data and technological feasibility. Our information, backed by the voice
of our supporters, will help ensure stronger and more accurate rules for
future model years. The final rule for model years 2012-2016 is expected
in early 2010. On March 5, EPA officials held a public
hearing in the Washington, DC, area on this issue. The conference room
was filled primarily with clean car supporters, including long-time UCS
activist Alan Ford who attended his first ever public hearing. UCS
Senior Engineer Jim Kliesch gave testimony about how existing vehicle
technologies can be used in vehicles of all types and sizes to meet and
even exceed the clean car standards, showing the clean vehicle blueprint
developed by UCS engineers—the UCS Vanguard. UCS testimony was backed by more than 16,000
UCS activists who wrote to demand that EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson
reverse the previous administration’s ill-considered decision. Backed by
the public, as well as the EPA’s own staff recommendations, we are
hopeful that Ms. Jackson will grant states the right to implement clean
car standards by the summer. Meanwhile, movement continues to broaden the
number of states that have adopted the clean car standards. On March 4,
Iowa State Representative Nathan Reichert proposed House File 422, a
bill to adopt the clean car standards. Iowa joins Minnesota and Illinois
with active legislation to adopt the standards. As action in these three
states move forward, as well as the next legislative steps in Florida,
the spring and summer look to be a busy and crucial time for moving
forward on cleaner cars. UCS and its activists will continue to play a
key leadership role in advancing this effort. Cool Fuels This is a crucial issue for the future of our
fuels, as the science has shown that some biofuels can actually produce
more global warming pollution than conventional gasoline. UCS Senior
Scientist Jeremy Martin and Washington Representative Eli Hopson have
been working closely with the EPA to ensure that the methodology being
used to account for the global warming pollution from the entire
lifecycle of biofuels—"seed to wheels"—is based on the best available
science and that the methodology being used is openly available for
scientific review. At the state level, however, we achieved a
major victory in California where they passed the world's first low
carbon fuel standard. The regulation will likely serve as a model for
other states and the federal government. Governor Schwarzenegger and the
California Air Resources Board faced tremendous pressure from the corn
ethanol industry to weaken the regulation by ignoring emissions caused
by deforestation and other land use changes. But the scientific evidence
is clear, and with the help of UCS, more than 170 scientists and
economists—including two Nobel Laureates and nine members of the
National Academies of Science—sent a letter to the board, urging it to
account for these emissions. California should be commended for
accounting for those emissions—and for continuing to lead the nation in
establishing forward-thinking policy to reduce heat-trapping emissions.
http://www.ucsusa.org/clean_vehicles/what_you_can_do/CV-Spring-09.html Union of Concerned Scientists Action Network
action@ucsusa.org
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TRADING POST
Amidst
a weak economy and automaker bailouts, fuel economy and clean car
standards were thrust into the spotlight this spring. The Obama
administration used methodology held over from the Bush administration
to set the 2011 model year vehicle fuel economy standards, which
included only a small increase over current standards. UCS is working
with agency officials to improve implementation for fuel economy
standards in future model years. President Obama also told the
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to reconsider their decision
prohibiting states from implementing clean car standards for global
warming pollution. UCS analysts and activists spoke loud and clear in
support of this issue, including continued efforts to encourage more
states to adopt the clean car standards. Our work to reduce global
warming pollution from fuels continues as well. UCS scientists worked
with the EPA on its plans to implement a Renewable Fuel Standard, but
key issues still remain especially in regard to land use and global
warming pollution. At the state level, however, we achieved a major
victory last week in California where they passed the world's first low
carbon fuel standard. The regulation will likely serve as a model for
other states and the federal government. In addition, California
activists worked to defend diesel pollution standards that protect
public health and the environment.
Earlier this year, we saw the first actual steps taken from the
work UCS, its activists, and allies played in the historic increase of
fuel economy standards passed in 2007. On March 27, the National Highway
and Safety Administration (NHTSA) released the final fuel economy
requirements for model year 2011 cars and trucks. The rule set the
average fuel economy at 27.3 miles per gallon (mpg), a small increase
from the 2008 model year estimated average of 26 mpg. This modest
increase was primarily due to the lack of time to review the Bush
administration’s methodology. By law NHTSA had to release the rule by
the end of March in order for the standard to be effective in 2011. The
new administration simply did not have sufficient time to lay out a new
methodology for determining the rule. Instead they were forced to move
forward with the flawed methodology and data held over from the Bush
administration.
Global Warming Pollution and Automobiles
During the first week of his presidency, President Obama
instructed the EPA to reconsider the Bush administration's decision to
deny states the right to implement global warming pollution standards
for vehicles. The denial has thus far prevented 14 states and the
District of Columbia from implementing clean car standards that mandate
an approximate 30 percent reduction in global warming pollution from new
vehicles by 2016.
In addition to stronger fuel economy standards, another step
toward reducing our dependence on oil was made in 2007 with the passage
of the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS). The EPA is now in the process of
determining how to best implement the RFS, which, by law, must take into
account all the direct and indirect global warming pollution associated
with growing, producing, distributing, and using all types of fuels.
California Diesel
In California, UCS has played a lead role in defending diesel
pollution standards that offer important public health and environmental
protections. UCS activists submitted thousands of letters and Senior
Analyst Don Anair provided critical analysis that helped dampen, but
unfortunately not prevent, efforts to weaken the state’s landmark
regulation to reduce pollution from off-road diesel equipment. Anair
continues working with California coalition partners to ensure that
other state diesel regulations are fully implemented, and UCS will
explore every opportunity to make up ground where health protections
were weakened.