Op-Ed Contributor: More Jobs to the Gallon

The Bush administration has issued a proposal that would weaken one of the nation’s most successful environmental laws. The administration’s plan would change current automotive fuel economy standards and allow a loophole that would hurt the environment, auto workers and the economy. …

Under current law, automakers are required to meet an average fuel economy standard for their fleets of cars and light trucks. They can make vehicles that fall below the average so long as they make enough that exceed it. By requiring an average fuel economy of 27.5 miles per gallon for cars and 20.7 for light trucks, current standards save more than 2.8 million barrels of oil per day while reducing heat-trapping global warming emissions by nearly 600 million tons per year. [mjh: my Toyota light truck gets 27 mpg.] …

The Bush administration is proposing to scrap these standards for a new system that would establish a series of vehicle weight categories, with a separate standard for each category. Basically, heavier vehicles would have lower fuel standards. Since they would no longer need to meet a fleetwide average, automakers would be free to add weight to all of their vehicles to make them qualify for heavier weight categories.

The result would be a reduction in overall fuel economy and an increase in pollution. America’s dependence on foreign oil would increase, and our environment would suffer.

The shift to a weight-based system could also jeopardize the jobs of thousands of Americans who work, either directly or indirectly, on the production of small cars. …

Even some automakers have expressed concern about these new standards, preferring the existing rules to uncertain new requirements.

The Sierra Club and the United Auto Workers do not always agree on automobile policy. We do agree, however, that the Bush administration’s proposal would destroy American jobs, reduce fuel economy and increase global warming emissions — and add to the burdens of an already struggling auto industry.

Carl Pope is executive director of the Sierra Club. Ron Gettelfinger is president of the U.A.W.

Turns out Bush really is a uniter — of people who oppose him. Well, you’re with him or you’re against him. mjh