It is surely an effective initiative by the U.S. Senate committee in the effort to not just reduce fuel dependency on imported oil, but also towards capping environmental pollutions. The bill approved by it to force automakers boost their vehicle’s fuel efficiency sharply was itself a huge step towards greenhouse gas emissions control.
However, the decision left the senior Republicans upset over the plan, calling it ‘unfair’ as they claim that it goes against the struggling U.S.-based auto companies that depend on sales of sport utility vehicles and pickups, which are less efficient.
Though the approval is infuriating many, it has given enough time for the 30-year-old Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE) program’s reformation as the changes would begin not before 2011, with the fleet required to average 35 miles per gallon by 2020.
The reform requires the nation’s fleet of passenger cars and light trucks, from SUVs to minivans and pickups, to improve fuel efficiency by 4 percent annually.
It seems the Congress is gearing up to make lawmakers respond to the nation’s soaring gas prices. It has started addressing not just U.S. dependence on imported oil, but also the impact carbon emissions are having on triggering global warming.
Photo: jeffmiller.house.gov
