Join Us for National Plug In Day Sept. 23

Written by Ann Mesnikoff and Gina Coplon-Newfield

For the last few weeks, we have been celebrating the new vehicle fuel efficiency and greenhouse gas emissions standards that mark President Obama's biggest climate accomplishment yet. Tens of thousands of Americans have sent letters to the White House thanking the president for new policies that will ensure that automakers produce much more efficient vehicles as well as cars that run on little or no oil at all. Now there's another way to celebrate.

Sunday, September 23rd, is National Plug In Day, a nationwide celebration of electric vehicles (EVs). By turning their back on the pump, oil spills, and tailpipe emissions, these vehicles are a huge step toward moving America beyond oil. They are also a lot of fun to drive. On the 23rd, EV drivers and the EV-curious in over 60 cities across the country will be taking part in free events to test drive EVs, kick the tires, and check out solar-powered EV charging stations. Ten lucky people who register for and attend Plug In Day events will even win a new iPad.

You can see if there is an event near you and register today.

A switch to EVs is an important part of a future with greener transportation choices, domestic clean energy manufacturing jobs, and a healthier planet. Every year, we burn roughly 121 billion gallons of oil in our passenger cars and trucks -- and even after taking into account the electricity used to charge EVs, these are almost always the cleanest cars around and will only get cleaner as we shift to more renewable sources of power. You can't say that about a gasoline-powered vehicle!

The Plug In Day events feature electric cars, trucks, and motorcycles in electric car parades, "tailpipe-free" tailgate parties, awards to leaders promoting EV-readiness, the launch of new public EV charging stations, and other educational events.

• Event-goers in the Los Angeles area will be taking EV test-drives and checking out more than a dozen models of electric cars of the past and present at the Automobile Driving Museum.

• In New York City, there will be electric delivery trucks on display from companies like Fed Ex, Coca Cola, and Duane Reade.

• The mayor of Sarasota, FL, will be issuing a Plug In Day proclamation where participants in that city will enjoy test-rides, musical entertainment, and a silent and emission-free EV parade.

Whether or not you can make it to a Plug In Day event, you can take a moment to sign a petition showing your governor that you support EV-readiness programs in your state, such as more consumer education, public charging stations, and utility programs that provide off-peak electricity rates and improve infrastructure.

Sierra Club has teamed up with Plug In America, Electric Auto Association, and dozens of local groups to organize this second annual National Plug In Day. With double the number of events this year than last, the momentum is electric.

-- Ann Mesnikoff is the Sierra Club's Director of Green Transportation, and Gina Coplon-Newfield is the Sierra Club's Director of Green Fleets & Electric Vehicles Initiative

Obama Administration Makes History by Raising Fuel Standards to 54.5 MPG

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For Immediate Release                                              
Contact:  Eddie Scher, 415-977-5758
August 28, 2012

White House Releases New Car and Light Truck Fuel Efficiency and Carbon Pollution Standards

Washington, DC – Today, the Obama administration finalized standards for model year 2017-2025 vehicles cutting carbon pollution to 163 grams per mile and achieving a fuel efficiency equivalent of 54.5 MPG by 2025. Combined with standards in place for 2012-2016 vehicles, the standards announced today will double the average efficiency of new vehicles and cut vehicle carbon emissions in half. In 2030 they will cut U.S. carbon emissions by the equivalent of 10% of current levels.

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

“Today, President Obama has taken the most significant action by any President in history to move our country off oil and slash dangerous, climate disrupting pollution that threatens our children’s future.  

With June and July registering as the hottest months on record, and droughts ravaging America’s heartland, these standards are a major victory for our planet and our families.  They will also save families thousands of dollars at the pump and create more than half a million new jobs.

American automakers are roaring back as leaders of the global market because they are delivering what consumers want -- vehicles that use less gas, emit less pollution, and save families more money at the pump. Today Sierra Club, automakers, and autoworkers stand together to celebrate success for American industry, jobs, and the environment.”

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Benefits of Vehicle Efficiency and Greenhouse Gas Standards
Both rounds of vehicle standards (2017-2025 standards combined with 2012-2016 standards)

• By 2030, both rounds of vehicle standards will cut oil use by 3.1 million barrels per day. That’s the amount of oil we currently import from the Persian Gulf and Venezuela combined.
• In 2030, new standards will reduce climate disrupting pollution by 570 million metric tons – nearly 10% of current US carbon pollution.
• Consumers will save $8,000 over the lifetime of a vehicle sold in 2025 compared to the average vehicle on the road today.

2017-2025 fuel efficiency and greenhouse gas standards for passenger vehicles

• According to a recent study by the Blue Green Alliance, standards for cars and light trucks sold from 2017 through 2025 will create 570,000 new jobs across America by 2030.
• By 2030, the new standards for vehicles sold from 2017-2025 alone will save 1.5 million barrels of oil per day.  That’s how much we currently import from Saudi Arabia.
• Americans will save up to $4,400 over the lifetime of a vehicle sold in 2025, even after paying for fuel saving technology.
• These new standards alone will reduce climate disrupting pollution by 270 million metric tons in 2030. That’s equivalent to shutting down 65 coal fired power plants for one year.

EV + PV = 0: Green Transportation takes Center Stage on 2-Year Anniversary of Deepwater Horizon Oil Disaster

U.S. Senator Bill Nelson gives Congress an "F" on 2nd anniversary of BP gulf oil disaster.

On April 20, 2012, the 2-year anniversary of the BP gulf oil disaster was observed on Florida's central gulf coast by acknowledgment of the lack of progress made in Congress to make drilling safer, along with celebration of new forms of transportation developed in the past two years that no longer require oil.

Britten Cleveland, Conservation Organizer for the Florida Healthy Air campaign, went to the airwaves in Sarasota to talk about what the Sierra Club is doing to move our community beyond oil in an effort to reduce the likelihood that a disaster like the Deepwater Horizon occurs again. http://sarasotatalkradio.com/wsrq-listening-lounge

Meanwhile, at a press conference organized by Gulf Restoration Network and Sierra Club in St. Petersburg, U.S. Senator Bill Nelson spoke on the failure of Congress to act to make oil and gas drilling in the gulf any safer than it was two years ago. "Noting that the members of the presidential oil spill commisson recently handed Congress a D grade for its failure to pass any new safety regulations, the Florida Democrat said, 'It shouldn't have been a D. It should have been an F.'"   http://www.tampabay.com/news/environment/sen-bill-nelson-blasts-congress-for-failures-after-gulf-oil-spill-but/1226150

EV + PV = 0 in the Sunshine City

As Sen. Nelson spoke,  a new Chevy Volt was getting fully charged nearby with free Florida sunshine. Sierra Club Florida Senior Organizing Manager Frank Jackalone demonstrated his new formula for clean air: EV + PV = 0. That is, driving an Electric Car (EV) charged with solar photovoltaic panels (PV) = 0 air pollution.

This isn't science fiction - it's new technology that's here now. Jackalone points the way to cleaner air and breaking our addiction to oil. In the past 2 years, industry and entrepreneurs have developed new choices that now allow us to drive cars without using any of BP's dirty, dangerous oil, and without creating any more smog - an important advance for Florida, where oil is as significant a source of air pollution as coal. The solution to pollution is free and abundant, especially in the Sunshine State.

Earlier that day, St. Petersburg Mayor Bill Foster celebrated Earth Day by cutting the ribbon on the City’s 10 new electric vehicle charging stations. St. Petersburg City Councilman Karl Nurse said on this occasion: “We really believe that this is just one of many, many steps to move us to a greener, more sustainable community. It's encouraging to see the city at the front end of what we think will be the dramatic change of transportation in America." City Unveils 10 New Electric Car Charging Stations

At Sierra Club Florida, we think Councilman Nurse is right. At the press conference with Senator Nelson Sierra Club Healthy Air Campaign Regional Representative Phil Compton and Pinellas County Commissioner Ken Welch (above) called for the county to break its addiction to oil by investing in green transportation choices like light rail, expanded bus service and safer streets for bikes and pedestrians.

Florida ranks near the bottom when it comes to transportation alternatives like inter-city mass transit, light rail, rapid buses and safe walking/biking paths. The state's solution to congested roads has been to build more roads and widen existing ones. This does nothing to solve transportation problems - it only induces more traffic, increases vehicle miles traveled by the average driver and keeps our state vulnerable to high gas prices and the threat of offshore oil drilling. Due in part to Florida's expansive tourist industry, our reliance on oil is among the highest in the country.  This dangerous reliance has resulted in catastrophes like the BP oil disaster that occurred in the Gulf of Mexico on April 20, 2010.

Even after Tampa Bay and Sarasota residents finally get these choices that most Americans now enjoy, however, most people here will probably continue to drive their cars for most trips. That’s why making all cars more efficient is such an important way to improve Tampa Bay’s air quality. We’re now moving rapidly towards achieving the new 54.5 miles per gallon standard for vehicle efficiency by 2025, and new electric vehicles developed in just the past several years are a great new way to reduce or even totally eliminate one’s personal contribution to the air pollution that ruins so many spring days in Tampa Bay and Sarasota with dangerous smog.

With 100+ EV public charging stations installed in the past year ready to refuel electric cars anywhere in the Tampa Bay region, it’s now really possible for Florida Gulf Coast residents and visitors alike to move beyond the dependence on oil that now hammers our family budgets and is also the primary cause of our dangerously high ozone levels in the spring and fall.

President Obama Takes Biggest Single Step to Move America Beyond Oil

For Immediate Release November 16, 2011

President Obama Takes Biggest Single Step to Move America Beyond Oil

Obama Administration Proposes Fuel Efficiency Standard of 54.5 mpg by 2025

 
Washington, D.C. — Today, the Obama administration officially proposed strengthening fuel efficiency and pollution standards for passenger cars and trucks to 54.5 miles per gallon by 2025.  The measure builds on a historic step taken last year to raise vehicle efficiency to 35.5 mpg in 2016 and begin reducing tailpipe carbon pollution levels.  The newly proposed standards also reduce carbon emissions to 163 grams per mile in 2025.

These highly anticipated standards would result in significant savings at the pump for American families, reduce climate-threatening carbon pollution and provide Americans with better and more fuel efficient vehicle choices.

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

“Today’s proposal is a big win for American families and will prove to be a big boost for our economy.  President Obama has secured a decade of progress toward breaking our dangerous addiction to oil, creating American jobs, curbing life-threatening pollution and tackling climate disruption. American families will see much-needed relief at the gas pump as the auto industry moves toward a better, more efficient generation of American cars.

“To put it in perspective, in 2030 these standards will save American families $44 billion at the gas pump, reduce our oil use by 23 billion gallons, and cut carbon pollution by an amount equal to the annual emissions from 72 coal-fired power plants – and that’s all just in one year. 

“Fuel efficiency and pollution standards for passenger cars and trucks are just one critical piece of the equation for ending our addiction to oil.  This new standard will put American innovation and technology to work to deliver the best cars and trucks for consumers, but we must also ensure smart transportation choices such as transit, biking and walking for all Americans, and build livable cities and communities.

“As the administration moves toward finalizing these standards next summer, it is critical that they avoid loopholes and giveaways for the industry. We look forward to working with President Obama and his administration to ensure that these fuel efficiency and pollution standards deliver the strongest possible benefits to American families and workers through 2025 and beyond.”

***Check out the huge benefits that American families will see from these standards***

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Florida consumers will save $4.2 billion dollars in 2030 (3rd most in US) under new fuel standards.

[Miami, FL] – New fuel efficiency standards for cars and light trucks will save the average Florida family $371 at the gas pump in 2030, according to a new analysis www.go60mpg.org/docs/NRDC_UCS-State_by_State_Savings-FINAL_9-11.pdf released today by the Sierra Club.  The analysis, from the Union of Concerned Scientists and the Natural Resources Defense Council, also finds that the Obama administration’s proposed fuel efficiency and carbon pollution standards for cars and light trucks will save Floridians $4.2 billion overall, cut the state’s oil use by 2.1 billion gallons and reduce carbon pollution by 24 million metric tons in 2030 -- equivalent to avoiding the carbon pollution of 6 coal-fired power plants in that year.

“Cars and trucks that use less gas are a win-win for Florida’s economy and our environment,” said Jonathan Ullman, Sierra Club South Florida/Everglades Organizing Representative  “The Obama administration’s new fuel efficiency standards ensure 15 years of continuous progress to help save Floridians money at the gas pump, create jobs, curb life-threatening pollution, and help move our country beyond oil.”

In July, President Obama announced his outline for the new model year 2017-2025 standards, which will ensure that new cars and light trucks average 54.5 mpg and reduce tailpipe carbon emissions to 163 grams per mile by 2025.  Due to outdated testing methods, the 54.5 mpg standard will mean consumers in 2025 can expect new vehicles to average approximately 40 mpg on road.

Nationwide, the UCS/NRDC analysis projected that these standards will save Americans $44 billion by 2030, cut oil use by 23 billion gallons, and cut carbon pollution by 280 million metric tons—making this the biggest single step this country has ever taken to move beyond oil and tackle climate disruption.  The outline was applauded by the majority of automakers and the United Auto Workers, as well as numerous environmental and consumer groups.

The Sierra Club also called on the Obama administration to avoid including loopholes and industry giveaways in the final standard that would undermine consumer savings and pollution reductions.  The Administration is expected to officially propose the standards in mid-November and finalize them by next summer.

-- Jon Ullman, Sierra Club South Florida/Everglades Organizing Representative

Thank the Obama Administration for proposing strong fuel efficiency standards and ask to keep the loopholes out

		Thank the Obama Administration for proposing strong standards and ask that the rule be free of loopholes. Last Friday, President Obama announced a proposal for strong fuel efficiency and carbon pollution standards for cars and trucks of 54.5 miles per gallon by 2025. Once finalized, this standard will save us money at the pump, reduce life-threatening carbon pollution and provide Americans with better and more fuel efficient car choices. We know that automakers can do better and meet our 60 mpg target, but the president's announcement is a strong step toward ending our dependence on oil. You made this progress possible. Together we sent over 300,000 messages — including our photo petition1 -- to President Obama, the EPA and DOT, showing that reducing oil dependence and carbon pollution through better fuel efficiency is a high priority for Americans across the country. This announcement is a win for everyone, but there is still more to be done! Thank the Obama Administration for taking action to cut our dependence on oil and curb dangerous carbon pollution. Then, urge them to keep loopholes that weaken the standards out of the final rule. Congratulations and thank you for all that you do, Ann Mesnikoff Sierra Club Green Transportation Campaign Director [1] Check out the photo petition we delivered to President Obama!