Action Alert: Tell the Governor to support Zero Emission Vehicles
January 2008
A historic vote by California regulators on March 27 could determine whether consumers across the United States get the choice to drive zero-emission vehicles soon or must wait another decade for that option.
With global warming destroying the planet and the cost of oil skyrocketing, we don't have time to wait. Sierra Club California asks you to take the simple actions below, and to forward this message far and wide. We need your help to make sure that clean cars hit the market soon.
The California Air Resources Board (CARB) on March 27 will revise its Zero Emission Vehicle (ZEV) Program, which put more than 5,000 electric cars on the roads and avoided more than 1 million metric tons of carbon dioxide emissions (even when factoring in power plant emissions). In 2003, however, changes to the ZEV Program allowed electric cars to disappear as long as automakers promised to produce 25,000 ZEVs in 2012-2014 and 50,000 in 2015-2017. Now the automakers want out of that promise, and CARB will vote
on a proposal to weaken the Program again.
California is the only state allowed under the Clean Air Act to set tougher limits on vehicle emissions than federal regulations. Other states can choose to follow California's standards, and at least 10 states hope to do so. The CARB vote has national implications.
Please send the message below to CARB and to California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger. Ask other individuals and organizations to do the same.
Reach CARB by posting your message in the official comments book
To reach Governor Schwarzenegger:
Call 916-445-2841 (preferably) or
Fax 916-558-3160 or
Post your message at http://www.gov.ca.gov/interact#email
Voice Message to Governor Schwarzenegger:
The California Air Resources Board will consider a plan on March 27 that will eliminate only 291,000 tons per year of climate change emissions through its Zero Emission Vehicle Program. We need more than 200 times that amount of progress to meet your goals for 2020!
The nation needs you now, Governor Schwarzenegger. We need bolder action from California and a more effective Zero Emission Vehicle Program. Please require automakers to offer 100,000 zero-emission vehicles for sale in 2012-2014. That's less than 2% of the market. They can do it.
There's no time to wait. Global warming is destroying the planet. Air pollution sickens and kills thousands of people each year. Please support higher numbers of zero-emission vehicles, and get them on the roads soon.
Or, Written Message:
(IMPORTANT: Take a few seconds to add some words of your own to the beginning of the message -- say why you are writing -- to make sure it gets delivered.)
I support California's goal to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 174 million tons/year by 2020, which means cutting vehicle emissions by about 70 million tons/year. The California Air Resources Board is considering a plan on March 27 that will eliminate an average of only 291,000 tons/year by 2017 through its Zero Emission Vehicle Program. We need more than 200 times that progress by 2020! The plan also eliminates only a fifth of the smog-forming emissions from tailpipes that doom thousands of people to lung disease and
death.
It's time for bolder action and a more effective Zero Emission Vehicle Program. Only California is allowed to set tougher tailpipe standards than federal regulations, and other states can follow, so California must lead the way. The nation needs you now.
Please require automakers to offer 100,000 zero-emission vehicles for sale in 2012-2014 (less than 2% of the market) to get us moving in the right direction. That's fewer than 6,000 vehicles per year from each of the six largest car companies. They can do it.
There's no time to wait. Global warming is destroying the planet. Air pollution sickens and kills thousands of people each year. Please support higher numbers of zero-emission vehicles, and get them on the roads soon.
Sincerely,
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