Published: May 29, 2009 04:11 pm      

In Your View — 06/01/09

New fuel standards are not anti-choice

Yes, the new automobile emissions and fuel efficiency standards are a done deal thanks to President Obama. After 25 years of frustration in the face of the massive auto lobby, it was almost anticlimactic with GM and Chrysler basically owned by the taxpayers and Ford hanging on.

The big three have for decades abused their energy and environmental stewardship. Since 1987, U.S. automobile engine efficiency has increased by 20 percent while fuel economy has gone unchanged (American Physical Society, Sept. 2008). The increased efficiency has been used to increase engine size and horsepower with economy remaining the same.

We have these decisions to thank for last summers’ demand-based $4 pump prices. The latest petroleum industry commercial which claims tremendous gains in economy since 1970 is very misleading since all those gains were made between 1970 and 1987. Remember, 20 mpg in a commercial means 15 mpg in real life.

Oh, and the right-wing media is already busy with same old nonsensical anti-choice argument while shoehorning us all into government approved, unsafe, subcompacts with $1,300 of extra needless cost. Our Hybrid Escape is a roomy 4wd SUV that actually gets 30 mpg city or highway up from an actual 15 or 16 mpg in our previous gas version of the same vehicle . The plug-in version in 2010 will get 50 mpg.

Hybrid versions of Yukon and Escalade are already available. If you can afford a luxury SUV with optional DVD, GPS, and XM than you can pay the extra $1,300 to double your mileage. For the low-cost market to take advantage of the $4,500 clunker trade-in and then the $7,500 plug-in hybrid tax deduction in 2010. Oh, the 2010 70 mpg plug-in Prius is made in Meridian, Miss.

Ed Edwards, Ashland