Environment

WomenMatter will continuously post updates on all this and other issues as we monitor the continuing philosophical and practical debates nationwide. Please check back often for updates. Past updates are available for reference on the Environment Archives page.

It’s a Gas: The Debate Over Fuel Efficiency Standards

The war in Iraq seems illusive, yet tangible, foreign, and yet familiar. Perhaps Iraq inhabits both the abstract and the real for Americans because we are simultaneously disassociated from it and tied to it. Some of us are linked with Iraq through the lives of U.S. soldiers, but many more of us are connected by the oil vein that runs from Middle East to West.

The U.S. is dependent on foreign oil. In 2003, 63% of oil used in the U.S. came from overseas.

Environmentalists say that stricter fuel economy standards would greatly decrease our need for oil and thus our dependence on foreign nations. Auto manufacturers warn that any drastic change in regulations would hurt the auto and oil industries and, therefore, U.S. jobs.

What government expects out of your vehicle

There is no general standard for fuel economy. The standard varies (or disappears) according to the vehicle.

Most SUVs and trucks are currently required to average 20.7 miles per gallon, while cars are required to average 27.5 mpg. SUVs have low fuel-economy standards because they are considered light trucks, although they are mainly used as passenger vehicles.

Larger trucks and SUVs like the Hummer H2, the Ford Excursion, and the Chevrolet Suburban have no fuel economy standards at all. Currently, vehicles that weigh 8,500 to 10,000 pounds are not regulated.

Since SUVs and large trucks have become enormously popular over the last decade, the fuel economy average for all vehicles has actually dropped 6% since 1988.

We are using more oil than we did fifteen years ago, and government is considering stepping in.

Changing standards

For the first time, the Bush administration is considering new fuel economy standards for the heaviest trucks and SUVs.

While environmentalists feel that trucks and SUVs should be held to the same fuel standards as cars, Bush has shied away from tougher standards for fear of losing American jobs. Now, the administration thinks it reasonable to regulate the largest vehicles; however, it has come to no decisions or new standards yet.

The National Highway Traffic and Safety Administration has increased fuel economy standards for light trucks. Up from 20.7 miles per gallon, trucks must reach 22.2 mpg for the 2007 model year.

Government is also considered raising fuel efficiency standards through the new energy bill.

The Energy Bill

A huge energy bill that deals with nearly every aspect of U.S. energy production and consumption has been endorsed by the White House and passed through the House of Representatives.

It has stalled in the Senate, in part because Democrats feel that the bill does not do enough to protect the environment. The bill does not raise fuel efficiency standards for cars and trucks.

The SUV debate

Environmentalists charge SUVs with ruining the environment; they are lobbying Congress to require SUVs to be held to the same fuel efficiency standards as cars.

The Sierra Club reports that many SUVs get just 13 miles per gallon, and emit 47% more air pollution than the average car.

The group also claims that 151 billion barrels of oil would have been saved in 2002 if SUVs made that year were as efficient as the cars made that year. Further, environmentalists explain that the technology needed to make SUVs and cars more fuel-efficient is already available.

The Future of Freedom Foundation is frustrated with environmentalists who demonize SUVs. In an article entitled, “Environmental Nonsense," Scott McPherson, a policy advisor for the foundation, emphasizes the important role that cars and trucks play in our lives and in our economy. He suggests that environmentalists will not be happy until we are all driving “shoeboxes" that get 80 mpg. This argument employs the "larger cars are safer cars" theory to which many Americans subscribe.

In fact, SUVs are making car crashes more deadly. SUVs are more likely to roll over than cars and more likely to kill the occupants in the event of a rollover. Further, two-vehicle crashes have become more deadly because of the difference in weight among trucks (SUVs) and cars. The average difference in weight between a car and an SUV is 1,185 pounds.

Nevertheless, U.S. tax law is encouraging the use of SUVs. Currently, there is a tax loophole that allows small-business owners to deduct up to $100,000 from their taxable income for buying an SUV.

Weigh the costs and benefits

Clearly, the issue of U.S. oil consumption is a complex one. But it is important for us to recognize that the government sets domestic standards and creates policies that affect the rate of oil consumption and thus our dependence on foreign nations. It is also worthwhile to note that there are political debates surrounding our private choices as consumers.

What do you think? Discuss this issue with other WomenMatter readers in one of our online forums. Read more about this issue by exploring the environment life issue, and when you’re ready, contact your representatives and let them know how you feel.

Posted on: 1/5/2004

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