Dear CA Air Resources Board,
I urge you to restore
California’s leadership on clean cars -- plus trucks and
buses! -- by accelerating the state’s transition to 100%
electric vehicles and strengthening requirements on new gas-powered
vehicles.
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.
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, Natalie
Blasco Anderson, CA 96007
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