Dear CA Air Resources Board,
I urge you to restore
California’s leadership on clean cars by accelerating the
state’s transition to 100% electric vehicles and
strengthening requirements on new gas-powered vehicles. Let's see
California lead the nation to 100% electric car sales as soon as
2030.
Climate pollution from gas-powered cars and trucks
makes up 40% of total greenhouse gas emissions in California. These
vehicles are a massive driver of the climate emergency, devastating
our state with deadlier, more damaging wildfires, heat waves, and
drought. And that exhaust increases our risk from many
diseases including COVID.
Historically, we’ve led
the nation on setting strong auto emissions standards — but
the current clean cars proposal falls short of the climate action
we need.
If we don’t reach 100% zero-emission
vehicle sales until 2035, it will be too late for California to
meet its goal of carbon neutrality by 2045, since many new vehicles
last 20 years or longer. Moving that target to 2030 will give our
state a better chance of meeting its climate goals and remaining a
global leader on clean cars.
And until we reach that
target in 2030, California can’t ignore the climate-damaging
emissions from new gas cars. We need to take immediate action to
make sure they emit less pollutants as they drive our roads for
decades.
This action is also critical to protect the
health of communities hit hardest by tailpipe pollution.
Cancer-causing vehicle exhaust harms people's health and
particularly hurts low-income communities of color near congested
freeways.
California must lead the way with strong
policy solutions to end tailpipe pollution and build an
environmentally just transportation system. New clean car standards
must ensure equitable access to electric vehicles.
We
urge you to adopt strong clean car rules that require:
• 100% zero-emission vehicle sales by 2030. • 7%
annual pollution cuts from gas-powered cars in the meantime. • Mandatory equity commitments to ensure that communities
most affected by pollution benefit from electric vehicles first and
foremost.
This transition is a tremendous opportunity to
create family-supporting, high-road jobs for Californians. We urge
you to seize this moment and adopt nation-leading clean car
standards that slash climate pollution, ensure equity, and promote
good jobs.
Sincerely,
Sincerely, Barbara
Brandom Pittsburgh, PA 15206
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