Another supporter of climate change legislation has now stepped forward - the autoworkers. According to the Union of Auto Workers (UAW), cleaner cars and strong climate policy means more jobs for American autoworkers. The UAW recently released a report prepared in conjunction with the National Resources Defense Council (NRDC) and the Center for American Progress called Driving Growth: How Clean Cars and Climate Policy Can Create Jobs. "This study shows that increasing automotive fuel efficiency will create jobs," said UAW President Ron Gettelfinger. According to the study, cleaner cars and strong policy could create as many as 150,000 American jobs.
The wonderful, heart-calming news was that my daughter was okay, with only a bruise. The bad news? My car was totaled. When your work is to advocate for clean transportation choices, what's your next step?
This afternoon, I participated in a conference call with Mary Nichols, head of the California Air Resources Board with clean cars advocates from around the country. She spoke for 20 minutes immediately before boarding her plane to Washington, D.C. for a huge victory announcement on clean cars with President Obama and Governor Schwarzenegger on Tuesday. With more details to come, the Obama Administration has brought together the auto companies and the states following California's lead to regulate global warming emissions from cars.
Dusting off the crystal ball, it looks as though we'll have electric vehicles coming to market in the next few years. Some require owners to plug in the vehicle for battery recharging - either at home, work, or at publicly accessible charging stations like those recently installed in San Jose California. (Here's a link to a related story and photos; scroll down to the January 14 entry.)
One of the most promising recommendations from Governor Pawlenty's Climate Change Advisory Group, adopting the Clean Cars standards would result in significant reductions in asthma-causing smog and greenhouse gas emissions that contribute to global warming, and would save consumers money and reduce our dependence on foreign oil. Fourteen states have already adopted these more protective state-based vehicle emissions standards, and Minnesota should add its voice the pressure being put on automakers to deliver the cleaner, more efficient cars and trucks we all want to drive.
The road toward cleaner cars and trucks just got a little shorter yesterday, as President Obama announced he's directing the EPA to reconsider California's waiver request to implement standards that would require greenhouse gas emissions reductions in new cars and light-duty trucks. Former EPA Administrator Stephen Johnson previously denied California the necessary waiver to implement this important phase of their clean cars policy, despite the recommendations of many EPA staff that the waiver be granted. Obama said it's time for the federal government to "work with, not against, states to reduce greenhouse gas emissions."
Posted by: Michael Noble in policy, legislation, green jobs, global warming, federal issues, energy security, energy independence, energy efficiency, economic development, driving, clean energy, clean cars on
Jan 27, 2009
This speech yesterday by Barack Obama was remarkable, not because of any surprises in his push for the energy independence provisions of the recovery bill, the move to raise fuel economy for cars, and his call for a quick EPA review of California's waiver request, allowing it to regulate CO2 from cars. What's remarkable is how clearly he communicates the three energy crises: our security, economy, and planet. If anyone has any doubts at all about how urgently Obama views the energy issue, this is a must-read speech. Heck, read it in any case.
Posted by: Ruth Patton in clean cars on
Jan 22, 2009
As we launch into the 2009 Minnesota state legislative session, talks of the budget crunch continue to dominate. However, last week's Minnesota Environmental Partnership (MEP) legislative forum provided a number of key legislators the opportunity to talk about some important policy issues that have a good chance of finding their way through the capitol and to the Governor's desk this year:
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