As the new home of OSPIRG's environmental work, Environment Oregon can be contacted regarding this news release.
OSPIRG Releases Study Showing Technologies Available To Cut Pollution, Delivers Thousands Of Thank-You Cards To Governor
PORTLAND—Weeks
before the Environmental Quality Commission is poised to vote on a
temporary rule to adopt the Clean Cars program, Oregonians gathered to
display clean car technology and support for adopting the standards. At
the event, where Oregonians brought their own clean cars, OSPIRG
released a new report documenting advanced technology for cutting
pollution from cars and trucks and delivered more than 4,000 thank you
cards to the Governor for his support for the Clean Cars program.
“Our
report shows that advanced clean car technologies are ready to roll,”
said Isaac Silverman, energy associate with OSPIRG. “And the outpouring
of public support demonstrates that Oregonians are eager to put these
technologies onto our roads and take on national leadership in curbing
global warming pollution.”
“I’m
in favor of the Clean Cars program because I support common sense
policies to curb global warming pollution in Oregon,” Governor
Kulongoski said. “Oregonians overwhelmingly appear to agree with me as
my office has been contacted by well over 5000 folks in support of the
Clean Cars program and my Work Group received well over 1000 comments
from Oregonians, nearly all in favor of the program. In the coming
months it will be important that everyone who supports a clean cars
program in Oregon continue to make their voices heard.”
The OSPIRG report, "Ready to Roll: The Benefits of Advanced Technology Vehicles for Oregon"
shows that existing technologies can cut global warming pollution from
regular gasoline powered cars on the road today. These technologies
range from simple improvements like transmissions with more gears and
more aerodynamic body designs, to advanced engines that shut off half
of their cylinders during freeway driving.
Ready
to Roll also shows that current advanced technology vehicles like
hybrid and battery electric vehicles, and the next generation of
vehicles, including “plug-in” hybrids, can produce even greater cuts in
global warming pollution. The popularity of hybrids has accelerated
dramatically in recent years. Americans purchased 93,000 hybrids in the
first six months of 2005, more than were sold in all of 2004. Plug-in
hybrids can charge overnight and store enough electricity to drive
20-60 miles without burning any gasoline. No major automaker currently
produces “plug-in” hybrids, but kits are available to modify hybrids to
add plug-in capability.
“The
Clean Cars program will not only make cars cleaner it will make them
more reliable," said Jim Houser of Hawthorne Auto Clinic, “and because
it creates incentives for car owners to perform scheduled maintenance I
expect my business to increase if Oregon adopts the standards.”
The Clean Cars program, if adopted by the Environmental Quality
Commission in December, will put more advanced technologies on Oregon
roads, leading to significant reductions in global warming pollution
from cars and trucks. According to OSPIRG research, the program would
put 30,500 new ultra clean conventional vehicles, and 7,000 new hybrid
vehicles on the road when the standards go into effect in model year
2009. These clean vehicles, combined with fleetwide pollution limits,
would reduce global warming pollution by the same amount as removing
350,000 vehicles from Oregon’s roads.
Recent
weeks have shown an outpouring of public support for the Clean Cars
program. In addition to the more than 4,000 thank you cards OSPIRG
delivered to the Governor, over 1200 Oregonians submitted comments to
the Governor’s Vehicle Emissions Task force. Ninety-four percent
expressed support for the Clean Cars program.
