Hello Folks
As you may know, the US Senate is currently debating the Clean Energy
Act of 2007 (HR6).
Votes on a fuel economy ammendment (Levin Poison
Pill amendment) and possibly Senator Bingaman's Renewable Energy
Standard ammendment is expected as early as tomorrow (June 20, 2007).
Raising fuel economy standards is probably the biggest single step Congress can take to save consumers money at the pump, curb global warming pollution and guarantee oil savings.
Of course, the Republican controlled Congress has avoided any meaningful legislation to improve the nation's fuel economy standards for years. Now with Democrats in control of Congress, there is a real chance to raise the standards and close loopholes. I'm told that there is language in the energy bill (HR 6) now before Congress containing measures to raise fuel economy 10mpg in 10 years.
What you may not know is that Senator Carl Levin, DEMOCRAT of Michigan, has run interference for the Detroit auto-makers for years. And now Senator Levin’s poison pill proposal would let automakers off the hook. The proposal provides no fuel economy goals for cars before 2022 or for trucks before 2025 and is full of loopholes that could actually increase oil consumption. Enforcement of the weak fuel economy goals is left at the discretion of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), the same agency that has had the authority to raise fuel economy standards and made no significant changes for the past 20 years.
Senator Levin may think he is doing Detroit auto makers a favor; but not really. Letting Detroit off the hook is not only bad for the country, it is bad for Detroit. Here's an excerpt of what I sent to the Senator via his web page.
I urge you to reject the auto industry argument that increased fuel economy standards compromises safety and costs jobs. Studies have shown that vehicles could be built safer and more fuel efficient using existing technology at a cost increase with payback periods that are well below the life of the vehicle. In a letter to the NHTSA in May of 2005, the Union of Concerned Scientists states:
UCS modeling has shown that a fleet average fuel economy of 40 mpg is
achievable within 10 years using conventional (i.e. non-hybrid, gasoline)
technologies, and that a light truck average of 36 mpg would be an integral
part of this fleet.
Furthermore setting higher standards usually drives technological advances which result in more and better jobs. In the same letter, the UCS states:
Finally, American auto workers will be the first to tell you that this is so. A survey of Michigan residents completed in February of 2007 by the Opinion Research Corporation included the following results:
the industry not offering the best available technology, including improved
fuel efficiency.
The second most common response at 59 percent was an
over-emphasis on production of vehicles with poor fuel efficiency, like SUVs
.
(Auto industry workers in Michigan are not inclined to defend their employers;
60 percent of survey respondents in households with someone working in the
auto industry cited Detroit’s focus on SUVs and other fuel-inefficient
vehicles as one of the biggest problems facing the industry.) The third
and fourth most common responses were as follows: poor U.S. auto industry
vision and leadership
(53 percent); and lack of Congressional or White
House leadership in raising fuel-efficiency standards
(51 percent).
Please reject any amendments to weaken fuel economy standards or that would interfere with global warming standards. I would oppose any bill that diminishes EPA’s authority to set global warming pollution standards for vehicles or fuels under the Clean Air Act or interferes with state’s authority to set and implement more stringent standards.
Best regards
Bob Fusinato
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