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.
Climate pollution from filthy gas-powered cars and trucks makes
up 40% of total greenhouse gas emissions in California. These
vehicles are a massive driver of the deadly climate emergency,
devastating our state with deadlier, more damaging wildfires, heat
waves, and drought.
Historically, we’ve led
the nation on setting strong auto emissions standards — but
the current clean cars proposal falls far short of the climate
action we need.
If we don’t reach 100%
zero-emission vehicle sales until 2035, it will certainly 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 afford
to ignore the climate-damaging emissions from new filthy 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 our communities
hit hardest by tailpipe pollution. Cancer-causing vehicle exhaust
harms people's, and wildlife's health and particularly hurts our
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 truly 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.
Thank you.
Sincerely,
Sincerely,
Kate Considine
Oxnard, CA 93030
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