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Cleaner Cars Would Reduce Pollution, Create Jobs and Save Consumers Money

The Consumer Federation of America released a report on September 2, 2010 recommending the Obama administration establish a 60 miles-per-gallon fuel efficiency standard for cars by 2025.

Last May, President Obama directed the Environmental Protection Agency and the Department of Transportation to develop two critical joint proposals for pollution and fuel efficiency standards by the end of September.  NRDC supports the federation’s recommendation of at least a 60 mpg standard.

The following is a statement from NRDC's Transportation Director Roland Hwang:

“CFA’s analysis clearly shows that raising fuel efficiency standards to 60 miles per gallon is good for consumers’ pocketbooks. Making cars and trucks go farther on a gallon is the cleanest, cheapest and fastest way to meet our energy needs and will help break the country’s addiction to oil.

Without stronger standards, American automakers could fall behind in the global race for the clean car market, putting even more manufacturing jobs at risk. Achieving 60 mpg by 2025 can be done using and improving technologies that already exist, such as hybrid electric cars and electric vehicles. We have learned from cell phones, microwaves, and computers that higher volumes can lead to dramatic improvement in innovation and driving down costs. Raising standards to 60 mpg is good for consumers, good for the environment and good for jobs.”

WASHINGTON - The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is encouraging students and their parents to support the environment by shopping for back-to-school clothes and supplies at retail stores that have earned the Energy Star label. Energy Star saves Americans energy and helps them protect the environment by avoiding greenhouse gas emissions.

Energy Star labeled stores have features that set them apart from typical stores, such as energy efficient lighting, registers that go to sleep when not in use, and store processes for shutting off equipment during closed hours. Energy Star labeled stores are independently verified to meet strict energy efficiency performance levels set by EPA. Stores that have earned the Energy Star perform in the top 25 percent of stores nationwide, use at least 35 percent less energy and emit at least 35 percent less greenhouse gas emissions than their peers.

Through Energy Star, EPA works with nearly 150 retail companies across the country—including 40 of the Top 100 U.S. retailers—to help them manage energy use, lower utility bills, and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Together, Energy Star partners, including Kohl’s Department Stores, JCPenney, Verizon Wireless, Staples, and Target, have more than 900 Energy Star labeled stores in 48 states, making it easy to shop green from coast to coast.

Families can also help protect the environment by choosing Energy Star qualified products such as computers and desk lamps. Energy Star qualified lamps use less energy mainly because they include compact fluorescent light bulbs (CFLs), which use 75 percent less energy than regular incandescent light bulbs. Computers that have earned the Energy Star use up to 65 percent less energy than conventional models.

Of almost 5 million commercial buildings in the United States, retail buildings spend the most on energy and are responsible for the second-largest percentage of greenhouse gas emissions, spending more than $21 billion on energy and emitting nearly 150 million metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent each year. If all the stores in the country reduced their energy use by just 10 percent, the U.S. would save more than $2 billion and help reduce U.S. greenhouse gas emissions by 15 million metric tons annually.

EPA’s online registry that lists all retail stores that have earned the Energy Star is updated daily.  

Find stores nearby that have earned EPA’s Energy Star: http://www.energystar.gov/LabeledStores

Find stores that sell Energy Star qualified products: http://www.energystar.gov/StoreLocator

Sometimes pictures do really tell the story, and the Chesapeake Bay Foundation (CBF) is counting on that premise to make a case for the Chesapeake Clean Water Act now before Congress. CBF joined forces with the International League of Conservation Photographers (ILCP)to visually document the Chesapeake watershed.

Kelly Donaldson, spokeswoman with the Foundation, says that in Pennsylvania they snapped pictures on land, in the air, and underwater. They shot areas and wildlife that need protection, as well as those that have been polluted.

"We traveled throughout the Pennsylvania portion of the Chesapeake watershed. We really tried to focus on a broad variety of what's impacting our streams and really focus in on how we can fix this."

Neil Ever Osborne, an ILCP photographer who is part of the project, says the pictures they take can bring light to issues of concern.

"When we send a group of photographers out, really, we're bringing back evidence that exists in these photographs. And, if we can influence some people to make some decisions after they've seen these photographs, then that's the ultimate goal."

Kelly Donaldson says the CBF is optimistic that when members of Congress see the photo exhibit, they'll gain a new perspective on the Chesapeake watershed and its unique makeup.

"Here's all of the places that are worth protecting; here are all of the spaces that need your help, and we really need Congress to look out for water quality and to pass a Chesapeake Clean Water Act."

The ILCP donated its resources for the project. The photos will be narrowed down to a group of about 30, to be displayed at the Capitol in D.C. for two weeks, starting September 22. After that, Donaldson says, the exhibit will go on tour to art galleries, colleges and other locations around Pennsylvania.

The cleanup of power plants is long overdue.  Power plant pollution causes tens of thousands of premature deaths each year. These plants are major contributors to particulate pollution and ozone in the East and Midwest.   The American Lung Association welcomes the proposal by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to reduce power plant pollution across 31 states.   The Code Red and Orange days we've experienced in the Eastern U.S. underscore the need for healthier air.  This action is an important step towards safe and healthy air across the region. 

The EPA's Transport Rule will require the installation of modern pollution control technology on power plants across most of the eastern half of the United States.  That technology will make sizable cuts in two dangerous pollutants: sulfur dioxide pollution levels by 71 percent and nitrogen oxide pollution by 52 percent.   Power plants spew so much of these pollutants that they must be cleaned up if our nation hopes to reduce the burden of ozone smog and particle pollution in the East and Midwest. 

Cleaning up power plants is critically important because particle pollution and ozone smog cause coughing and wheezing, trigger asthma attacks, send people to the emergency room and cause heart attacks and strokes, as well as premature death.  Millions of people are at risk from this pollution, including children, seniors, those with chronic lung diseases like asthma and COPD, and those with cardiovascular diseases and diabetes. This proposal is an important step to protect public health, and will save between 14,000 and 36,000 lives a year.

The American Lung Association is encouraged that this proposal creates a framework for additional pollution controls that can be implemented to address more protective air quality standards.  The American Lung Association, along with other major public health and medical organizations, has called for an ozone standard of 60 parts per billion, the most protective level under consideration by the EPA.  When the EPA sets the new standard, this regional power plant regulatory framework must be strengthened to provide further pollution reductions to help the states in the East and Midwest meet the new standard.

The American Lung Association in Pennsylvania is hosting a complimentary kickoff luncheon for the October 2 "Fight for Air Walk" on Thursday, August 26, from noon to 1:00 pm at Uno Chicago Grill, 3905 Commerce Boulevard in Dickson City. 

Attendees will learn about the mission of the Fight for Air Walk, the American Lung Association and will be provided with instructions on how to raise money and coordinate teams for the upcoming event.  The Fight for Air Walk is taking place at the PNC Field in Moosic and will benefit the American Lung Association in Pennsylvania and its mission of saving lives by improving lung health and preventing lung disease.  Fight for Air is seeking to raise $50,000 and have 1,000 walkers attend.

Organizations, schools, corporate teams and family members, especially those affected by lung disease are encouraged to attend.  Fight for Air Walk corporate spokesperson Elizabeth Zygmunt, editor of the Northeast Business Journal, will share her personal story on lung disease at the kickoff.  As an incentive for sponsorship, she is offering to donate a full page advertisement in the Journal to the company who raises the most in donations.

There is no fee to attend the kickoff, but first donations towards the Fight for Air Walk are gratefully being accepted.  Registration is required.  To attend, contact Donna Ray-Reifler at (570)-823-2212 or at dreifler@lunginfo.org.  To learn more or to register for the walk, visit www.FightForAirWalk.org