Obama’s clean car plan reduces global warming pollution, dependence on fossil fuels

President Obama’s announcement today of an agreement to make American companies world leaders in producing cleaner, more efficient cars was another huge sign that we are no longer stuck in the failed policies and politics of the past decade. 

When we began work over four years ago on Clean Car issues in Washington and Oregon, we hoped that we could help tip the balance for the North American auto market by bringing a critical mass of states to join with California’s tough standards. Today, it tipped. 

The new standard will reduce global warming pollution from new vehicles by 30 percent and drive average fuel economy to 35.5 miles per gallon by 2016 – four years earlier than under current law.  According to the White House, the program will save 1.8 billion barrels of oil and reduce global warming pollution by 900 million metric tons, which is equivalent to eliminating the pollution from 177 million of today’s cars or 194 coal plants. The agreement also provides the certainty that car companies need to innovate, by combining three processes (CAFÉ standards, EPA tailpipe standards and state emissions standards) into a single set of requirements.

President Obama made his announcement flanked by the leaders from all of the major car companies as well as representatives from labor, environmental groups, consumers, and Governors of three states.  As part of this agreement, the car companies have agreed to drop their lawsuits against the different state standards (including ones challenging the standards adopted in Oregon and Washington).  The lawyers are on their way home; bring on the engineers!

This announcement marks a huge step forward, but it just begins to tap the potential for clean cars specifically and the clean energy revolution generally.  President Obama concluded his remarks with a nod down Pennsylvania Avenue, where the House Energy and Commerce Committee is beginning real work on the most transformational energy and climate legislation ever seriously considered in Congress.  That bill is moving, but we will need continued pressure to deal with weakening amendments inserted or being pushed by warriors from the old, dirty economy. 

EPA is moving forward with its proposed finding that greenhouse gases pose a clear and present danger to public health and the environment – we look forward to welcoming them to Seattle for their only hearing outside the DC “beltway” with a big rally on Thursday (see below). We will also need continued leadership in all of our states.  But as much as any single decision to date, President Obama’s announcement signals that we are now turning toward the bright promise of a clean energy future freed from our addiction to fossil fuels with real courage and determination.

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More on the Thursday, May 21 noontime rally in Seattle: http://www.climatesolutions.org/press-room/press-releases/rally-in-seattle-for-climate-clean-energy-jobs-healthy-communities

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