News Release | Environment Georgia

Obama Administration Proposes Historic Clean Car Standards

Atlanta, GA  – The Obama administration today officially proposed new clean car standards that represent the biggest step the U.S. has ever taken to get off oil and tackle global warming. The standards would require cars and light trucks in model years 2017-2025 to meet a fleet-wide average global warming pollution standard equivalent to 54.5 miles per gallon.

News Release | Environment Georgia

Atlanta one of the Smoggiest Cities in America

(ATLANTA) Sept. 27, 2011 – Today Mothers & Others for Clean Air, Environment Georgia and experts from Emory University’s Rollins School of Public Health and the Southeast Pediatric Environmental Health Specialty Unit gathered at one of Atlanta’s most congested corridors to discuss Atlanta’s growing ozone problem. They announced the release of “Danger in the Air,” an Environment Georgia report detailing the 2011 smog season in the U.S. and areas with the highest concentrations, including Atlanta. The group revealed the latest scientific evidence from Emory researchers about the public health impacts of ozone concentrations, the transportation sector’s contribution, and the need to continue to reduce air pollution.

Report | Environment Georgia

Plug-In Cars

America’s current fleet of gasoline-powered cars and trucks leaves us dependent on oil, contributes to air pollution problems that threaten our health, and produces large amounts of global warming pollution. “Plug-in” cars are emerging as an effective way to lower global warming emissions, oil use, and smog. A “plug-in” car is one that can be recharged from the electric grid. Some plug-in cars run on electricity alone, while others are paired with small gasoline engines to create plug-in hybrids. Many plug-in hybrids can get over 100 miles per gallon, while plug-in electric vehicles consume no gasoline at all.  

As automakers race to become the first to introduce a mass production plug-in vehicle to American consumers, citizens and decision-makers are grappling to understand the implications of switching to a vehicle fleet fueled primarily by electricity for our environment, for consumers, and for the nation as a whole. 

Plug-in vehicles show great promise for addressing the nation’s environmental and energy challenges. But it will take strong public policy action to help plug-in vehicles make the leap from promising technology to everyday reality for Americans.

Report | Environment Georgia

Green and Shovel Ready

Georgia’s reliance on dirty energy is fueling global warming, harming our health, threatening our security, and stalling our economy. Burning coal, oil and gas for energy and transportation is responsible for 80 percent of U.S. global warming pollution and most of our smog and soot pollution.

We can protect our environment and strengthen our economy by investing in clean energy and green infrastructure. If implemented effectively, the green economic recovery plan recently passed by Congress and signed by President Barack Obama would mean less global warming pollution, fewer asthma attacks induced by air pollution and cleaner lakes and rivers for drinking water, swimming and fishing. It would also provide more sustainable energy in the long term, and create more jobs in the short term than investing in the dirty energy technologies of the past.

Result

Bringing transit to Atlanta

In October 2011, the Atlanta Regional Roundtable voted for a list of transportation projects that will spend over $3.2 billion on transit projects, once approved by voters.

Result

At 54.5 mpg, a big step forward.

Americans will consume less oil, create less smog and cut our global warming emissions, thanks to Clean Cars rules we helped implement in 14 states. Those state victories paved the way for President Obama to announce new nationwide clean car standards in 2011, which amount to the single biggest step this country has taken to end our addiction to oil and tackle global warming.