| 7/23/2007 9:11:00 AM | Email this article • Print this article | Energy plan in the White House's court
Guest Opinion
by Carl Pope
Recently, the U.S. Senate took a step forward in the fight against global warming by passing an energy bill that will help save consumers money at the pump, end dangerous dependence on oil, and lower our global warming emissions.
For the first time in nearly three decades, senators voted to require the auto industry to make the kind of fuel-efficient vehicles that consumers so desperately need in these times of record-high gas prices. From Trent Lott to Ted Kennedy and everyone in between, the Senate agreed it's time to give America a new energy outlook.
Before the end of July, the House of Representatives will have the chance to build on the Senate momentum, reject the auto industry desperate attempts to derail progress, and strengthen the compromise legislation to guarantee it makes meaningful headway.
The House can follow the lead of 23 states and vote to pass a national Renewable Electricity Standard to guarantee we get more of our energy from clean, renewable sources such as wind and solar.
Instead of business as usual, the House should pass an energy bill that will help break our oil addiction, fight global warming, create tens of thousands of new jobs and save the average driver more than $700 at the gas pump.
Fuel economy standards have barely budged for 20 years and the carefully balanced, bi-partisan compromise included in the Senate energy bill will get them moving for the first time since the late President Gerald Ford of Michigan signed the original Corporate Average Fuel Economy law.
The biggest single step the United States can take to curb global warming and save oil is to raise the fuel economy of our cars and light trucks. By making cars, pickup trucks and SUVs go farther on a gallon of gas, Americans can save billions of dollars at the pump, curb global warming pollution and slash our dependence on oil - making our nation safer and more secure. By achieving a 35 mile per gallon standard in 2020, the Senate bill will save us 1.2 million barrels of oil per day, save consumers $25 billion at the pump each year, and create over 170,000 new jobs.
The Senate bill was a good first step, but now it's up to the House to pass an even stronger bill. Instead of caving in to pressure from special interests, members of the House should stand up for American families and make sure all our cars, trucks, and SUVs average 35 mpg by 2020 at the latest.
There will undoubtedly be attempts to slow, defeat or weaken this bill. If auto makers were half as good at making efficient cars as they are at fighting new environmental and safety laws, they'd all be enjoying record profits.
They have been using the same excuses and scare tactics for decades to oppose every major improvement in safety and emissions - and we can expect more of the same in the House.
The American people and the Senate saw through these cynical ploys. Now the House must take the opportunity to tell automakers to make the kind of vehicles that are good for consumers, good for the environment, and, ultimately, good for the automakers themselves.
The House will also have the chance to correct a major shortcoming of the Senate energy package. Because of a series of procedural moves by a small group of senators, the Senate failed to include a modest Renewable Electricity Standard despite the support of a super-majority in the Senate, and the fact 23 states have adopted similar standards.
An amendment requiring 20 percent of American electricity to come from clean, renewable energy sources is expected to be voted on for inclusion in the House energy bill.
It's important the House act without further delay to pass a strong energy bill. And the House bill must include a guaranteed increase in fuel economy and a federal Renewable Electricity Standard.
Carl Pope is executive director of Sierra Club, America's oldest and largest grassroots environmental group. Column distributed by MinutemanMedia.org.
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