WildEarth Guardians

Tuesday, January 27, 2009
WildEarth Guardians Applauds Move by Obama to Safeguard the Climate

Order Opens Door for Colorado, New Mexico to Curb Global Warming Pollution
Contact: WildEarth Guardians

DENVER-WildEarth Guardians today applauded a move by President Barack Obama to allow states to begin slashing global warming pollution from cars and trucks. The move reverses a Bush Administration proclamation that prevented more than 16 states-including Colorado and New Mexico-from safeguarding the climate.

"Clean cars are crucial to combating climate change," said Jeremy Nichols, WildEarth Guardians’ Climate and Energy Program Director. “Today President Obama opened the door for a cleaner future and a safer climate in Colorado and New Mexico; we applaud his directive.”

In a politically charged decision in 2007, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency ruled that the State of California could not adopt clean car standards in order to reduce global warming pollution and other harmful air pollutants. The State of California had requested a "waiver" in order to adopt tailpipe standards more stringent than the federal government. If the State of California had been granted the waiver, it would have opened the door for Colorado, New Mexico, and other states to adopt similar clean car standards.

Today, President Barack Obama ordered the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to review its 2007 denial of California’s waiver. The move is expected to ultimately lead to the agency granting the waiver, allowing California and other states to start cutting global warming pollution from cars and trucks.

In 2007, Colorado’s Governor Bill Ritter committed to adopting the California clean car standards while the State of New Mexico officially adopted the same standards. Both States have adopted ambitious global warming pollution reduction goals. It is estimated that clean car standards could achieve a more than 30% reduction in greenhouse gases from vehicles in the long-term, and save motorists up to $25.00 a month in fuel costs due to increased efficiency.

President Obama’s decision will ultimately give the green light for Colorado and New Mexico to implement California’s clean car standards.

Although aimed at cutting global warming pollution, clean car standards have a number of clean air benefits. It is estimated that smog forming pollution would be reduced by 7% or more once the standards take effect, with greater reductions expected over time.

"Clean cars just make sense," said Nichols. "With Colorado and New Mexico struggling with unhealthy air pollution and striving to fight global warming, cleaner, more efficient cars are a better solution."