Clean cars get the green light from the White House
Environment New Jersey
Trenton – The Obama administration today officially proposed new clean car standards that represent the biggest step the U.S. has ever taken to get off oil and tackle global warming. The standards would require cars and light trucks in model years 2017-2025 to meet a fleet-wide average global warming pollution standard equivalent to 54.5 miles per gallon. This proposal builds off the leadership of New Jersey and 13 other states who previously adopted state-level clean car standards.
“The President’s clean cars proposal represents the biggest step ever taken to end our addiction to oil,” said Doug O’Malley, Field Director with Environment New Jersey. “By making the cars and trucks of the future cleaner and more fuel efficient, these standards will reap big benefits for New Jersey’s environment, our health and our economy.”
By 2030, the proposed standards would reduce annual global warming pollution by 280 million metric tons, roughly equivalent to shutting down 70 coal fired power plants for one year. In addition, in the same amount of time, the standards would cut oil use by as much as 23 billion gallons per year – an amount equivalent to our imports from Saudi Arabia and Iraq in 2010.
Moving forward, the Obama administration is expected to conduct a public comment period and hold public hearings to gauge public opinion of the new standards before finalizing the standards next year.
“For New Jerseyans who want to raise their voice in support of getting off oil, these clean car standards and this public comment period offer the best opportunity in years,” said O’Malley. “We look forward to helping demonstrate broad support for the strongest possible standards, and keeping them free of loopholes that would take away from the environmental and economic benefits for New Jersey.”
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Environment New Jersey is a state-wide citizen-based environmental group which advocates for clean air, clean water, and open spaces on behalf of our 60,000 citizen members.
