Commentary

Sierra Club Applauds Historic Standards for Heavy Trucks


 WASHINGTON, D.C.–(ENEWSPF)–August 9, 2011. Today President Obama announced the first-ever fuel efficiency and carbon pollution standards for medium and heavy duty trucks made between 2014 and 2018. 

In response, Michael Brune, Executive Director of the Sierra Club, issued the following statement:

“The Sierra Club applauds the President’s historic announcement today.  By setting fuel efficiency and carbon pollution standards for medium and heavy duty trucks, we will, for the first time, be able to clean up and improve the performance of the delivery trucks, city buses and freight trucks that Americans rely on each day, clearing our air, saving truckers and businesses money at the pump, creating jobs and bringing the nation a step closer to moving beyond oil.

“Despite representing only 4 percent of all the vehicles on the road, the trucks covered by today’s announcement consume 20 percent of all on-road transportation fuel used each year, but have never been subject to federal fuel efficiency or carbon pollution standards.

“The Sierra Club is pleased that the Obama Administration has made this important first step in setting necessary standards for this broad range of trucks.  These standards mark an important starting point for progress beyond 2018, and by using existing technology – for example, by setting standards for heavy duty truck trailers – we can do even more to cut our addiction to oil.  

“To fully address the problems we face as a nation addicted to oil, we must build on today’s announcement and the President’s recent fuel efficiency standard for passenger vehicles by putting American ingenuity and technology to use and ensuring smart transportation choices for all Americans and creating livable towns and cities.”

Source: sierraclub.org


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