What's New
VICTORY: On December 19, 2007, President Bush signed into law a federal energy bill that will raise fuel efficiency standards for cars and trucks to 35mpg by 2020. These new standards represent a critical victory in the effort to tackle global warming, while saving Pennsylvanians money at the gas pump and cutting our dependence on oil. Thank you to everyone who made a call, wrote a letter or sent an email on this issue over the past five years--our hard work has finally paid off! (Read our statement)
Background
One of the best ways to cut global warming pollution—and thus avoid the worst consequences of global warming—is to raise fuel efficiency standards for our cars and light trucks. The fuel efficiency of new vehicles was lower in 2007 than it was during most of the Reagan administration, but all types of vehicles can be designed to go farther on a gallon of gas using technologies that already exist or will soon be available. And, in addition to reducing global warming pollution, cars that go farther on a gallon of gas require fewer trips to the gas pump, saving Pennsylvanians money.
PennEnvironment and our citizen members have worked for the past five years to help convince Congress to raise federal fuel efficiency standards for cars and trucks. And finally, in December, 2007, all of our hard work paid off when Congress passed, and President Bush signed into law, an increase in fuel efficiency standards to 35 miles per gallon (mpg) by 2020. This was a historic victory in the fight against global warming, and will also reap enormous financial savings for Pennsylvanians at the gas pump.
Still, we know we have the technology to go even further. Implementing a fleet-wide average standard of 40mpg by 2018 (coupled with stabilizing vehicle travel) would result in a 20 percent cut in fuel consumption by cars and trucks by 2020, reducing global warming pollution by about 307 million metric tons—or a 5 percent cut in U.S. global warming pollution. PennEnvironment is working to make these higher goals a reality.
