Tony Borroz reports on Wired,
President Barack Obama announced tough new fuel economy and emissions standards Tuesday that automakers must adopt by 2016, saying the rules will ‘help America break it dependence on oil, reduce harmful pollution and begin the transition to a clean-energy economy.
The rules, brokered with help from the auto industry, increase the average fuel economy of new cars and trucks to 35.5 mpg within seven years and cut tailpipe emissions by almost 40 percent. The standards mirror those California sought to adopt last year over the objections of automakers and the Bush administration.
Do these people not know that how we drive is a huge contributor to our fuel mileage?
If something is good, why does the government have to use force to get us to do it? Yes, I know, the only solution a surgeon has for your problem is surgery and the only solution a politician has for your problem is more laws.
Here’s another idea: Americans love competition: NFL, baseball, American Idol, Grand Theft Auto, et.al. We also love comparing high scores on video games and communicating with each other via social networks.
Instead of mandating fleet mileage goals, let’s mandate a fuel mileage gauge on all cars. The car could automatically tweet your latest mpg high score to all your friends to show what a great eco-driver you are.