SCC Celebrates the One Year Anniversary of President Obama’s Leadership in Setting National Greenhouse Gas Standards for New Passenger Vehicles

Today Sierra Club California is celebrating the one year anniversary of President Obama’s historic Rose Garden announcement where he announced that California standards for greenhouse gases would become the basis for a strong national standard that would reduce global warming pollution spewing from our new cars, light trucks and SUVs for model years 2012 through 2016.

Just last month, on April 1, 2010, the U.S. EPA and Dept of Transportation released their final rulemaking for strong national greenhouse gas standards based on California’s landmark clean car program that our Air Resources Board (ARB) developed pursuant to the law authored by Fran Pavley and co-sponsored by Sierra Club California. The standards will also raise average fuel economy to 35 mpg by 2016.

Sierra Club California wants to ensure that ARB continues to adopt the programs that put greener vehicles on the road so that we can continue to cut our oil consumption and greenhouse gas pollution.

ARB is already working on standards for 2017 and beyond, and we need to show support for setting a high bar for the industry and the nation. ARB will be voting on two important clean car programs in the fall: the Low Emission Vehicle program III, which will set reductions of both greenhouse gas and criteria pollutants, and the Zero Emission Vehicle program, which should require putting cars like plug-in hybrids and battery electric vehicles on the road in high volumes.

Now, as California gets ready to update the next round of standards we need to ensure they are robust and result in substantial improvements so our kids can breathe easier, we can reduce our dependence on oil, save money at the gas pump and improve our economy by creating jobs through advancements in clean car technology.

To get more involved, check out Sierra Club California’s Drive Green California campaign. Sign up on line at www.sierraclubcalifornia.org.