Obama Administration's New Vehicle Standards

New vehicle standards have been issued by the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) and the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). The Obama Administration has finalized new standards of 54.5 mpg that will be implemented by 2025.These new vehicle standards in concert with previous Obama administration standards will almost double the fuel efficiency of future vehicles as compared to new vehicles currently on our roads today. The previous Obama administration standards for cars and light trucks for Model Years 2011-2016 raised average fuel efficiency to 35.5 mpg by 2016.

Described by President Obama as "the single most important step we’ve ever taken to reduce our dependence on foreign oil.” This new standard is not only good for the environment, it is good for national energy security, good for Americans looking to save on gas, good for automakers and good for everyone that breathes the air.

These moves will serve as a catalyst for new innovation and help increase the adoption of electric and hybrid vehicles in the US.

This will save consumers more than $1.7 trillion at the gas pump which is a savings amounting to $8,000 over the life of a model year 2025 vehicle.

The standard reduces US oil consumption by 12 billion barrels or 3.1 million barrels per day by 2030. It also reduces carbon pollution by almost 6 billion metric tons. The reduction of 570 million metric tons in 2030 is equivalent to taking 85 million of today’s cars off the road or shutting down 140 coal-fired power plants.

The new standard is also a winner for automakers as it increases their profits and creates jobs. It is anticipated to create 570,000 new jobs across the nation between 2017-2025. 

© 2012, Richard Matthews. All rights reserved.

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Car Sharing Programs a New More Efficient Way to Drive

Car sharing reduces the number of privately owned cars; and a proportional reduction in the number of parking spaces needed. Car sharing that relies on electric vehicles are of great environmental benefit. They have no emissions and fuel costs are typically 60-70 percent lower than comparable fossil fuel powered vehicles. Car sharing programs are an efficient way of using a car without having to buy one. These programs are particularly environmentally sustainable when they employ electric vehicles.

Premium car brand BMW is working to become a "mobility services" company with their first EV car sharing program in the US. Their program features a fleet of 70 electric BMW ActiveE cars available at eight stations in the San Francisco Bay area. Their DriveNow, program allows drivers to take a car from one point to another rather than have to return it to the point of departure as is the case with other car sharing programs. and leave it, unlike other car-sharing programs which require vehicles to be returned to the same pick-up location. They even enable enrolled drivers to use a smartphone app to reserve a car.

The program originally lauched in Germany where there are 45,000 in the cities of Munich, Berlin and Düsseldorf.

Other car companies are also getting involved with car sharing. Daimler has a program in the US and Canada called the Car2Go car-sharing service that has 50,000 members. It launched in Austin, San Diego, and is now in the cities of Miami, Calgary and Toronto. Daimler has a network of 200 to 300 Daimler Smart Fortwos in each location.

In Canada, AutoShare was the first car sharing or rental company to add 100 percent electric vehicles to their fleet. As part of their commitment to sustainable transportation, they are working with a number of companies to install a network of charging stations for this project in Toronto.

© 2012, Richard Matthews. All rights reserved.

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Video: Al Gore Criticizes Obama's Decision to Withdraw the Proposed Ozone Standards

In his jobs speech President Obama said, "I reject the idea that we need to ask people to chose between their safety and jobs." However, on the Friday before labor day, President Obama asked EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson to withdraw the proposed new national ozone standards, delaying the safeguards until at least 2013. President Obama said that he is putting the new clean air regulations on hold for jobs. However, Al Gore argues that the President's decision impacts human health and the health of the environment.

© 2011, Richard Matthews. All rights reserved.

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EDF's Voices for Clean Air - National Week of Action 2011

The EDF is behind a campaign to help remind political leaders that clean air is something that the majority of Americans support.

Democrats, Republicans and Independents have very different visions for America, but one thing they all agree on is that Everyone deserves the right to breathe clean, healthy air. Support for clean air comes from 58% of Republicans, 79% of Democrats and 54% of those polled with no party affiliation. The majority of voters of all political stripes trust EPA more than Congress to set clean air standards. By a 65 to 30 percent margin, voters agree that we can set stricter standards for cleaner air.
Despite the popular will, polluters and their Republican allies in Congress are waging an unprecedented, radical assault on the life-saving clean air protections that keep our families and communities safe.

Join the EDF in sending a powerful message to our political leaders: We stand together for strong clean air standards.

Share this post with others and go to the EDF site to sign the Clean Air Pledge and commit to taking action this week (August 15-19).

© 2011, Richard Matthews. All rights reserved.

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EPA's New Clean Air Rules

A new EPA rule puts 18 aging coal plants on a path to being cleaned up or retired and another EPA rule on haze could affect a total of 300 coal facilities.

The EPA is acting on its Clean Air Act mandate to collaborate with states to reduce haze.

This milestone agreement comes after the Environmental Defense Fund, the National Parks Conservation Association and WildEarth Guardians filed a lawsuit early in 2011 challenging the EPA's failure to act.

According to a June agreement filed in the US District Court in Colorado, the EPA will be required to oversee plans to curb thousands of tons of air pollution in Colorado, Montana, North Dakota and Wyoming beginning next year.

The goal is to restore visibility under natural conditions by 2064. The haze in question is about much more than the visibility of national landmarks, according to WildEarth Guardians, the 18 plants targeted under the agreement collectively release at least 200,000 tons of sulfur dioxide, 150,000 tons of nitrogen oxides and 120 million tons of carbon dioxide..

Colorado, Montana, North Dakota and Wyoming, aren't the only states that will have to reduce emissions that cause haze. The new agreement will demand that close to three dozen more states prepare their own regional haze plans. This may prove to be the first salvo in a nationwide effort to rein in haze-causing pollutants at power plants, pulp mills, refineries and smelters.

Under the Obama administration's tenure, EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson has transformed CAIR into what is now called the Cross-State Air Pollution Rule. The EPA recently released requirements for that newest standard.

EPA figures put the cost of acting on a nationwide plan to reduce haze in the neighborhood of $1.5 billion annually. But according to the EPA, the health-care savings will total around $8.4 billion a year.

Once the 30-day comment period ends July 15, a federal judge in Colorado is tasked with issuing final approval. The deadline for that agreement is currently being negotiated but details should be announced later this year.

Although it has been a long and slow process, it looks at though efforts to have cleaner skies in America is finally coming to fruition.

© 2011, Richard Matthews. All rights reserved.

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