As the new home of OSPIRG's environmental work, Environment Oregon can be contacted regarding this news release.PORTLAND—Governor
Kulongoski put Oregon on the road to cleaner cars today, in an
announcement to a large crowd of supporters in Pioneer Courthouse
Square. He vetoed a legislative provision prohibiting him from taking
action, and pledged to bring the Clean Cars program to Oregon before
the end of the year. That means that Oregonians will have access to
clean cars by model year 2009.
“By
bringing Clean Cars to Oregon, the Governor is continuing Oregon’s
tradition of environmental leadership,” said Jeremiah Baumann, a clean
energy advocate for OSPIRG. “The governor’s commitment to adopt the
Clean Cars program this year shows that he is serious about addressing
global warming.”
The
Clean Cars program will fight global warming by using existing
technology to cut pollution from new cars and light trucks sold in
Oregon by around one third by 2016. The program also requires that
automakers make more advanced-technology vehicles, such as hybrids,
available to the public.
Global
warming is already having an impact in Oregon. A consensus statement of
scientific knowledge from prominent Northwest academics found that
spring snowpack in the Cascades has shrunk by half in the last 50
years. Less snowpack reduces streamflows that farmers rely upon for
irrigation and that salmon need to spawn.
The
Clean Cars program is supported by a broad range of Oregonians. Public
health advocates, businesses, faith leaders, elected officials,
environmentalists, and others have joined together in a growing
coalition that today presented the governor with a letter thanking him
for his veto. In addition, the governor and legislators have received
nearly 4,000 phone calls and emails from OSPIRG activists urging them
to bring clean cars to Oregon this year.
Advocates
of the Clean Cars program say it will be good for the economy as well
as the environment. OSPIRG’S Jeremiah Baumann explained, “The Clean
Cars program will increase Oregonians’ choices by making more advanced
technology cars available,” he said “and because clean cars also go
farther on a gallon of gas, they will save consumers money.”
