Global Warming News

HARRISBURG—Clean vehicle programs adopted by 10 states to limit greenhouse gas pollution from cars will reduce global warming emissions in 2020 by 64 million tons per year, an amount greater than the national emissions of more than 140 nations. Put another way, by 2020 the clean car programs in these states will eliminate as much carbon dioxide pollution annually as is produced by 63 power plants generating enough power for nearly a quarter of U.S. homes.

Pennsylvania is on the verge of adopting similar standards through the Pennsylvania Clean Vehicles Program. Yet bills have been introduced in both the state House and Senate that would bar the state from implementing this program. A hearing on one of the bills—House Bill 2141—was held in the House Environmental Resources & Energy Committee today.

The Clean Air Act allows states to choose between complying with federal vehicle emission standards and adopting the more protective standards – known as the Clean Cars Program –implemented by the state of California. To date, 10 states – California, Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont and Washington – have adopted the Clean Cars Program.

“The pollution reductions that will result from the clean cars requirements just in these ten states makes a significant dent in the world’s global warming emissions,” said Nathan Willcox, energy & clean air advocate with PennEnvironment. “Here in Pennsylvania, the Clean Vehicles Program gives us the opportunity to join these states in cutting global warming pollution and thus lessening the chance of global warming’s impacts, including extreme weather events and the spread of tropical diseases is.”

These state efforts stand in stark contrast with efforts by Bush administration agencies and Congress to block efforts to reduce global warming emissions. The Environmental Protection Agency and National Highway and Transportation Safety Administration are working to block these efforts by the states to take action to regulate emissions from cars.

Depending on how automakers choose to comply with the standards in the ten states, the Clean Cars Program could also reduce gasoline consumption by as much as 7.2 billion gallons per year in 2020 – nearly as much as is consumed by all the vehicles in Florida in a year – and save consumers up to $16.7 billion annually at the pump in 2020.

And while the Pennsylvania Clean Vehicles Program would bring similar pollution standards for cars and trucks to the Commonwealth, some in the state legislature are working to stop the program. Today the Pennsylvania state House Environmental Resources & Energy Committee held a public hearing on House Bill 2141—legislation that would bar the state from implementing the Clean Vehicles Program. The legislation is opposed by public health and citizens groups, including the Pennsylvania Parent Teachers Association, the Pennsylvania State Nurses Association, and the American Lung Association of Pennsylvania (ALA of PA). Kevin Stewart of ALA of PA testified at today’s hearing in opposition to HB 2141.

By doing away with the strong standards of the Pennsylvania Clean Vehicles Program, HB 2141 would dramatically weaken the Commonwealth’s ability to control global warming pollution, as well as asthma-inducing air pollution and cancer-causing emissions from automobiles. Late in 2005, an effort to hold a full House vote on HB 2141 without a public hearing was stalled by public opposition.

“Now that HB 2141 is being debated in the public arena instead of behind closed doors, lawmakers should see this legislation for what it is—a weakening of our clean air standards at a time when we need to be strengthening such protections,” said PennEnvironment energy & clean air advocate Nathan Willcox. “With more than 370,000 asthma attacks triggered in the Commonwealth by smog each year—and increased evidence of global warming impacting us today—it is shocking that our politicians would vote to weaken clean air regulations.”

Many environmental and public health advocates see this as the most comprehensive attack on the state’s clean air rules in years, at a time when nearly two thirds of Pennsylvania’s counties do not comply with health-based standards for smog pollution under the federal Clean Air Act. Smog pollution is known to trigger asthma, and is responsible for the “code red” pollution days during summer months across the Commonwealth.

In October 2005, a number of legislators in the state House tried to pass HB 2141 without giving any notice and without holding any public hearings. After that sneak-attack was stalled, leaders in the Senate introduced their version, SB 1025. It is estimated that the Clean Vehicles Program standards would reduce smog-forming emissions from automobiles and light trucks in Pennsylvania by approximately 10 percent, toxic benzene pollution by up to 15 percent and global warming emissions from cars and light trucks by nearly 25 percent by 2025 compared to reductions under the weaker federal program. Both HB 2141 and SB 1025 would block the state from implementing these stronger standards, even though 10 other states—including New York and New Jersey—have already adopted similar standards.

Smog is considered to be one of the worst air pollutants plaguing the Commonwealth. It causes a host of respiratory problems, including asthma in young children. Even in healthy adults, smog causes breathing difficulties, increased congestion, pulmonary inflammation and other problems during outdoor exercise.

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PennEnvironment is a statewide nonprofit and nonpartisan environmental advocacy organization with more than 18,000 citizen members across the Commonwealth. For more information on our Clean Cars campaign and other PennEnvironment projects, visit www.PennEnvironment.org.