Tell Major Automakers to Stand for Cleaner Air

From PennEnvironment (http://www.pennenvironment.org):

Major car companies are currently working to repeal air pollution protections here in Pennsylvania and nationwide.

This fall, Subaru, Toyota, Nissan, General Motors, and Chrysler all came out in support of the Administration’s proposal to weaken clean car standards.¹

Tell these automakers that you want them to stand for cleaner air, not more air pollution, at https://pennenvironment.webaction.org/p/dia/action4/common/public/?action_KEY=36394.

These automobile manufacturers are siding with the administration in its effort to repeal 50-year-old safeguards that empowered states to reduce air pollution from the tailpipes of cars and light trucks.

Since 1968, the federal Clean Air Act has allowed states the choice to adopt either the weaker federal tailpipe pollution standards or the stronger tailpipe pollution standards implemented by California.² These standards address global warming emissions and the types of air pollution from cars and trucks that trigger asthma and other respiratory ailments.

In 2006, Pennsylvania opted into following the stronger California tailpipe standards to protect public health and reduce air pollution. By 2016, these standards were expected to reduce new vehicle greenhouse gas emissions in Pennsylvania 30% below 2002 levels, and have already saved Pennsylvanians more than $1.2 billion at the pump.^3,4

But now the administration is moving to revoke the ability of states (including Pennsylvania) to set stronger air pollution protections from cars and trucks—even as our transportation sector has become the single-largest source of global warming pollution in the U.S.⁵

Sadly, auto manufacturers such as Chrysler, General Motors, Subaru, Nissan, and Toyota have lined up with the Trump administration in support of repealing this critical public health safeguard.

Sign our petition and help send a clear message to these auto manufacturers: consumers are disappointed with their choice to push for more air pollution instead of cleaner cars.

The good news is that some car companies aren’t being cajoled into supporting the administration’s rollback of pollution standards for cars and trucks. Ford, Honda, BMW, and Volkswagen have committed to meet the stricter tailpipe pollution standards required by Pennsylvania, California, and a dozen other states.⁶

But if we’re truly going to tackle the pollution that’s putting our health and planet at risk, we need to have policies in place that promote cleaner vehicles.

Help us stand up for strong protections from air pollution today.

1. Brady Dennis & Juliet Eilperin, “GM, Toyota and Chrysler side with White House in fight over California fuel standards, exposing auto industry split,” Washington Post, Oct 29, 2019.
2. Umair Irfan, “Trump’s fight with California over vehicle emissions rules has divided automakers,” Vox, Nov. 5, 2019.
3. “Tailpipe Emission Standards,” American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy.
4. Lisa Davis & Carol Lee Rawn, “Clean car standards are good for Pennsylvania businesses and consumers,” Philadelphia Inquirer, June 4, 2019.
5. Oliver Milman, “Vehicles are now America’s biggest CO2 source but EPA is tearing up regulations,” Jan 1, 2018.
6. Dale Kesler, “Automakers defy Trump, stick with California in climate change standoff,” The Sacramento Bee, Sept 19, 2019.