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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Press contact: Jon Coifman,
202-289-2404 or 202-320-8026 (cell); Dan Lashof, 202-289-2399
or 703-725-8364
If you are not a member of the press,
please write to us at nrdcinfo@nrdc.org or see
our contact
page.
New White House Fuel Economy Move
a Drop in the Bucket
WASHINGTON (December 12, 2002) -- Reaching for a fig leaf
in the growing debate over America's foreign oil dependence,
the Bush administration today announced a paltry measure that
would boost SUV and light truck fuel economy standards by just
1.5 mpg over the next five years.
"This is an embarrassing response to a serious security
threat. Americans deserve a better answer. The President's
plan would save just a few drops from the ocean of Middle East
oil," said Dan Lashof of NRDC (the Natural Resources Defense
Council). "We have the technology to improve safety and fuel
economy in cars and trucks of all sizes. Detroit and the White
House are standing in the way."
The new proposal would not even make up ground lost since
passenger vehicle fuel economy levels peaked fifteen years
ago. According to the National Academy of Sciences, we could
raise fleet-wide fuel economy by more than 10 times the amount
proposed by the administration.
"Detroit has fought every fuel economy standard ever
proposed. This administration helped them fight progress by
opposing real fuel savings offered in the Senate earlier this
year," Lashof said. "We can meet our transportation needs
without making ourselves dangerously dependent on foreign
oil."
The Natural Resources Defense Council is a
national, non-profit organization of scientists, lawyers and
environmental specialists dedicated to protecting public
health and the environment. Founded in 1970, NRDC has more
than 500,000 members nationwide, served from offices in New
York, Washington, Los Angeles and San Francisco.