While it was a huge relief to see $4 a gallon gasoline go by the wayside, some analysts say it’s just a brief reprieve.
And with the return of $4 a gallon gas comes the stranglehold that some of this country’s greatest enemies will have on the United States.
That is but one of the reasons we applaud President Barack Obama’s decision to reconsider allowing California and other states to set stricter auto mileage standards than what the federal government now requires.
It was among several moves the president made Monday, signaling his commitment to reduce our enormous carbon footprint.
“We have made our choice: America will not be held hostage to dwindling resources, hostile regimes and a warming planet,” Obama said.
The decisions are a breath of fresh air for a country that has for too long carried on as if there was no end to the oil that supported our habits and no impact on the environment.
The administration’s other moves included issuing guidelines to ensure automakers reach a previously approved average fuel efficiency of 35 miles per gallon by 2020, and the naming of a new U.S. envoy on climate change.
But the main decision was the reconsideration of the California request.
Giving states the ability to adopt a strict tailpipe emissions standard would result in automakers having to build more efficient cars.
If California and 13 other states were to adopt the standard, it would reduce greenhouse-gas emissions by more than 450 million metric tons by 2020, according to Environment America, an environmental group. And it would save 50 billion gallons of gasoline by 2020.
Those are significant numbers.
Colorado could be among the states that choose to go the “clean car” route.
More than a year ago, Gov. Bill Ritter unveiled a climate action plan that included adopting the standard being pursued by California and other states. As it stands, the state’s Air Quality Commission is contemplating such rules.
The clean car standard is worth exploring in Colorado. Questions need to be asked, such as: Can we still buy the type of vehicles to get us up and down steep grades safely, and how much would such a standard add to the vehicle’s price tag?
Auto dealers and manufacturers have resisted the move, saying it would force an already struggling industry to abide by a “patchwork” of standards. We don’t buy that.
The industry has long had to make cars to meet the emissions standards for California, which has been wrestling with pollution for decades.
If half the country adopted the same standard, it would be a rather large market. Plus, automakers could just sell those higher-mileage vehicles nationwide.
The president’s actions should constitute a clear roadmap for an auto industry struggling to redefine itself.
The path to its future will be traveled by cleaner cars that make us less beholden to foreign oil producers.
It’s an important step, not just for the auto industry, but also for the entire country as we rethink the ramifications of our energy consumption.
