Statement of Jason BarboseEnvironment California Global Warming AdvocateOn California’s Lawsuit against U.S. EPA for Failing to Grant Clean Cars WaiverEnvironment California applauds Governor Schwarzenegger and Attorney General Brown for their steadfast commitment to California’s Clean Cars Standard, and their leadership in pushing forward with real progress to solve global warming.
Unfortunately, as California takes action to reduce global warming pollution, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is putting up roadblocks to prevent states from implementing solutions that will reduce global warming emissions from cars and SUVs. The federal government should not try to block this kind of progress.
By implementing the Clean Car Standards, California and the eleven other states that have followed California’s lead – Connecticut, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, and Washington – will utilize cost-effective and existing technology to reduce global warming pollution from vehicles. The twelve state standards will cut global warming emissions from vehicles by 392 million metric tons by 2020, the equivalent to taking 74 million of today’s cars off the road for an entire year.
Unfortunately, the U.S. EPA’s failure to give the California the stamp of approval to put cleaner cars on the road is more than just bureaucratic delay. It marks a clear decision to cater to powerful corporate interests instead of protecting the public from very real risks of climate change.
The U.S. EPA should immediately give California the green light to put clean cars on the road. Environment California looks forward to working with Governor Schwarzenegger and Attorney General Brown to ensure that this vital solution to global warming is implemented.
