On January 21, PennEnvironment released a new report, outlining the potential environmental and economic benefits of getting more plug-in hybrid cars and plug-in electric cars on the road.  Most notably, the report found that if half of the light vehicles in the United States were electric vehicles powered by completely clean electricity in 2030, total fleet emissions of global warming pollution would be reduced by 62 percent.  Read the press release and access the full report here.

Given the smog and global warming pollution released by cars and trucks, cleaning up Pennsylvania’s transportation systems is a critical way in which we can protect our environment and public health—to say nothing of the daily role that public transportation plays in getting Pennsylvanians from one place to another.

In order to cut pollution from our transportation sector, we need to both advance cleaner car technologies, and improve and expand existing public transportation systems so that more people can make trips without ever getting in a car.

And while automakers are starting to produce more hybrids and other clean technology vehicles, we have the technology ready today to be getting far more of these vehicles on the road at a much faster pace.  On top of that, our public transportation systems have suffered from years of inconsistent and inadequate funding from Harrisburg, which has lead to repeated cutbacks in service.

So PennEnvironment is working to both advance clean car technologies, and ensure that Pennsylvania's public transportation systems have the funding they need to not only keep the trains and buses running today, but improve and expand service moving forward. 

Taking these steps will help achieve significant reductions in air pollution, helping to protect our environment and public health.