Drive Beyond Oil

Driving Beyond Tired

At 7:41 pm last night in Wheeling, West Virginia, the cell phone rang. On the line was Karen Wayland, our legislative director, telling us: "Come on home, boys." And so ended our nearly two-week, 2,000-mile trek through four states spreading the message: '35 MPG or Bust.'

Turns out that Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) decided late yesterday not to include a fuel-economy measure in the House energy legislation. That bill is expected to pass tomorrow without CAFE (Corporate Average Fuel Economy). While Rep. Pelosi expressed strong support for raising fuel-economy standards to 35 miles per gallon, she declined to allow either of the two competing House bills to come up for a vote. The bill we favor, the so-called Markey-Platts bill, would save consumers the most money, save the most oil, and substantially reduce global warming pollution. The opposing bill championed by the auto industy, the so-called Hill-Terry bill, offers much more modest goals that won't make our cars go far enough or fast enough on a gallon of gas.

But the fight is not over. Remember that the Senate passed its own energy bill containing a very favorable fuel economy measure. Most people expect that similar standards will be added to the House energy bill when the two chambers meet during August recess to reconcile their respective legislation. If that doesn't happen, then it's likely that fuel economy will be considered again when Congress takes up global warming legislation in the Fall.

In any case, we consider our Drive Beyond Oil barn-storming tour a rousing success. We drove our hybrid SUV through small towns and large cities all over Maryland, Pennsylvania, Ohio and West Virginia. We educated countless people about the importance of stronger fuel economy, and more important, many of them took action by calling and urging their member of Congress to support '35 mpg or bust!" And our trip generated amazing media coverage, including dozens of radio, television and newspaper stories.

In fact, the coverage didn't end until this morning when I did a radio interview with the #1 talk radio show in Columbus, Ohio. After arriving home from Wheeling at 2 am last night, I just hope my interview made sense!

I believe there is a very good chance that Congress will listen to the will of the people and act soon to strengthen federal fuel economy standards for cars and trucks. If not, then we may be revving up the hybrid for another tour through key congressional districts -- so get ready, America!

But for now, let me share the Top 10 things the team learned on our road trip:

10. Nobody thinks gas prices are too low.

9. People are still confused about hybrids. (Do you plug them in?)

8. The 1908 Ford Model T averaged the same mileage as new cars today: 25 mpg.

7. Snazzy t-shirts and car magnets always draw a crowd.

6. Small town America is alive and well.

5. Ironically, Hummers are always shiny and clean. (What's the point?)

4. Wireless connection is more important than food.

3. Blogging is easy and fun.

2. Never understimate the power of citizen phone calls to Congress.

And the #1 thing we learned...

1. It takes a village to Drive Beyond Oil  (Special thanks to the entire NRDC Action Fund team!) 

Give me 35 mpg or Give me Death!

Apologies to Patrick Henry for paraphrasing his famous quote, but we want liberty from high gas prices and oil addiction, and 35 mpg will help us achieve it.

Today, we stopped in Bridgeport, Ohio, and Wheeling, West Virginia, home of Representatives Charlie Wilson and Alan Mollohan.  We scored two interviews in the Ohio River Valley with channels 7 and 9 that will be airing on the 11 o'clock news.   

We also stopped by Representative Wilson's funeral home, pictured at right.  It was a beautiful building just a stone's throw from the Ohio River, and it was symbolic of what needs to happen to the legislation he has cosponsored.  Representative Wilson is a co-sponsor of the Hill Terry Bill, a weak bill backed by the auto industry that meets lower targets at later dates than the legislation offered by Representative Markey.  The strongest fuel economy legislation will save us 2.5 times more oil than the weak bill and will save consumers billions more dollars at the gas pump.

We know Representative Wilson supports fuel economy legislation, but the people in his district want him to support the strongest possible standards, not the weak measure backed by the auto industry.  It's time for ALL members of Congress to support the bill that will put us on a real path to reducing our dependence on foreign oil and saving consumers money.

Like the people we've met on the road, you can help by calling your Representative NOW and asking him or her to support H.R. 1506, the Fuel Economy Reform Act:  202-224-3121

Moving America Beyond Oil One Vehicle at a Time... Or Not

While Hummers (with or without magnets) will never help America Move Beyond Oil, the article below in the Warren Tribune Chronicle will hopefully motivate Representative Tim Ryan to go the distance and support legislation that gets us to 35 mpg by 2018.

35 MPG or bust team helps with calls to Congress

By STEPHEN ORAVECZ

Tribune Chronicle

Frustrated with high gas prices, Gene Cheredar of Champion put in a call to his congressman Monday.

He was one of several people who put in similar calls as three members of the NRDC Action Fund's "35 MPG or Bust" team stopped in Warren. They are on a two-week, three-state road trip trying to build support for the tougher of two competing bills calling for higher fuel economy standards for cars and light trucks.

Congress is set to vote on the issue this week.

After an earlier stop Monday in Youngstown, the environmentalists drove their Toyota Highlander Hybrid to Perkins Park, where the PONY softball tournament games were under way. It gets more than 30 mpg and is used to show people they donát have to give up size to get good mileage.

Scott Laeser approached Cheredar and asked him what he thought of the cost of gas. While prices are down lately, Laeser noted they are higher than they were a year ago.

After Cheredar expressed his frustration, Laeser pointed to his 35 mpg or bust shirt and talked up advantages of higher fuel economy rules.

"Sounds great," Cheredar said. Laeser was ready with a cell phone and Cheredar put in the call to Rep. Timothy J. Ryan asking him to back the tougher of the two bills.

"I just feel prices are way out of line, and oil companies are taking advantage of the people," Cheredar said.

Lynne Huerta of Pennsylvania put in a call saying improved fuel economy would save money for her, especially since she travels "all of the place for softball."

Rob Perks of the NRDC Action Fund, which is affiliated with the National Resources Defense Council, said the higher standards would save Ohio drivers more than $1 billion. Citing reports that say the technology already exists to meet the tougher standards, Perks said Ohio is particularly vulnerable to higher gas prices based on the amount of their income they must spend on fuel.

An NRDC report released earlier this month said also said Ohio is among the 10 states doing the least to reduce dependence on oil.

Not everyone called their congressman. One man from New York said he had doubts because he had heard the tough standards might result in fewer jobs. The team's usual response that Detroit said it couldn't comply with mandates to install seat belts in all vehicles or to use catalytic converters wasn't enough to convince the man to support the tougher bill.

That is the stand Ryan, D-Niles, has taken. While the Senate has approved a bill that calls for a corporate average of 35 mpg by 2020, Ryan is co-sponsor of a rival bill that would raise standards to 32 mpg by 2022. Other local congressmen  (Steven C. LaTourette, R-Concord, and Charlie Wilson, D-Bridgeport) mirror Ryan's position.

Spokesman Brad Bauman said last week that Ryan feels he is making a responsible choice for the environment and the autoworkers in his district.

Despite Ryan's opposition, the team of environmentalist set off for Akron and Kent, hoping to get more people to call Ryan's office.

Unusual Suspects

Over the last six days, we’ve been talking to people in Maryland, Pennsylvania, and Ohio about fuel economy and asking them to call their Congressperson to tell him or her to support the strongest fuel economy legislation possible.  Our message is getting through loud and clear, and people are strongly in support of what we’re doing.  I’ve been told “Thank you, you guys are doing a great thing” several times during this trip, and not once have I been told that raising fuel economy standards is a bad thing.  Going up to complete strangers in cities we’ve never before visited is challenging, though, and invariably results in a few surprises for us.

Yesterday, we were in Akron, Ohio asking people to call Reps. Betty Sutton and Tim Ryan.  I walked up to a man and asked him if he had a minute to talk about gas prices.  He saw the local news TV camera behind me and said, “Yeah, I’ll talk about gas prices, but I don’t want to be on TV or anything, because I have warrants out for my arrest.”  Lots of people we encountered today didn’t want to be on TV, but not all of them were as candid as this guy about why.  He proceeded to listen closely to what I had to say and asked for a website where he could get more information.  With a video camera from a local news station just a few feet away and warrants out for his arrest, I appreciated his willingness to listen to what I had to say.

I would have been more surprised encountering the man with warrants in Akron had I not had the following experience last week in Pennsylvania.  I walked into a coffee shop and started talking to the only guy in there at 8:45am on Thursday morning.  He was listening closely to what I was saying, though he seemed a little nervous and distracted, and all of a sudden he spilled his coffee all over the counter.  I thought to myself, “Great, the woman behind the counter thinks I’m harassing her customers.”  I helped him clean up his spill and then walked out the door of the coffee shop with him and asked him to call his member of Congress.  He said the following to me:  “I would, but I don’t think I pull a lot of weight in Congress, because I just got done serving 10 years in Federal prison for dealing drugs.  Give me the number and I’ll ask my mom and uncle to call.”  I said “Ah, ok,” and couldn’t manage to get much more out of my mouth than that. 

Burn On, Big River

On Monday morning, we begin the second leg of our Drive Beyond Oil tour, blazing through Ohio to rally support for fuel economy legislation that will be on the floor of the House of Representatives this week.  Ohio is an appropriate place from which to project a rallying cry for better federal fuel economy legislation, as the state has lent its ills to similar efforts in the past.

38 years ago, on June 23, 1969, the Cuyahoga River in Cleveland caught on fire.  That's right, a river, with water (if you could call it that) in it, caught on fire.  Industrial waste, oil, and other pollution was blamed for the conflagration.  Academy Award winner Randy Newman even wrote a song about the Cuyahoga entitled Burn on, Big River (scroll down the page halfway...you can even listen to it). 

The fire department quickly contained the fire on that fateful June day, but the symbolism of a river in flames was profound and powerful.  The Cuyahoga River fire paved the way for one of the nation's premier environmental laws, the Clean Water Act, which was passed in 1972.  This legislation has helped countless rivers throughout the nation improve over the last 35 years, and we no longer have to worry about our nation's waterways catching fire.

The Cuyahoga River was the poster child for the Clean Water Act, and this week we're here to make the great state of Ohio the poster child for the strongest fuel economy legislation being offered, H. R. 1506.  Every state and citizen will benefit from this legislation, but Ohio in particular stands to gain a lot.  According to the Union of Concerned Scientists, the state could gain 10,500 jobs and Ohio citizens could save 1.4 billion dollars a year by 2020 at the gas pump.  The University of Michigan just released a study showing that Ford, GM, and Chrysler will benefit from the passage of the strongest fuel economy legislation, and with the auto industry's deep roots in Ohio, the state will reap these benefits in the form of jobs gained, or at least not lost, which is happening in Ohio and everywhere else right now as The Big Three lose market share to other firms.

I haven't heard of any songs written about how our cars burn too much gasoline, but if you know of one, please tell me.  In the meantime, the NRDC Action Fund Drive Beyond Oil team will be trekking through Ohio to generate more calls to Congress in support of raising fuel economy standards to 35 mpg by 2019.  When the Cuyahoga burned 38 years ago, our country finally realized that something had to be done about water pollution.  After 35 years of the Clean Water Act, our nation's rivers aren't perfect, but they're better.  If we raise fuel economy standards to 35 mpg, its a big step in the right direction, but it's only the beginning.  Our dependence on foreign oil and the threat of global warming are far more difficult challenges to address than the burning Cuyahoga, and it's going to take more than one piece of legislation to do the trick.  Raising fuel economy standards is arguably the best first step, though, and now is the time for Congress to act. 

Democracy at Work?

Week one of the Drive Beyond Oil Tour has come to an end, and we've learned a lot about America and how its citizens feel about fuel economy.  We've also done our best to spread the word about the importance of telling Congress to enact the strongest fuel economy legislation possible next week.  Throughout the tour, we've talked to dozens of people about how much they're paying for gas, how far their cars go on a gallon of gas, and what automakers SHOULD be doing to make all cars go farther on a gallon of gas.  The response has been uplifting and sobering at the same time.  Everybody we talk to wants fuel economy standards raised and they want it to happen now.  In a pure democracy, that should be enough to make it happen,  but the Drive Beyond Oil team is going into week two of our tour and in no way can we say for sure that Congress is going to act to raise fuel economy standards.  That's frustrating, but it's just more motivation to work even harder to get more people to call their Representative to tell them what needs to happen.

One benefit of raising fuel economy standards we haven't talked about yet is the reduction in global warming pollution that would result.  If we enact the strongest legislation, by 2018, we'll be spewing 285 million fewer tons of carbon dioxide into the air.  The average weight of vehicles in the US is about 4,000 pounds, or two tons.  According to the US Department of Energy, there were about 250 million vehicles in the United States in 2002.  If H. R. 1506 is enacted, we would eliminate carbon dioxide emissions equal to over half the weight of all vehicles in the United States, PER YEAR.  That won't stop global warming, but it's a huge step in the right direction. 

Next week, when your representative votes in favor of H.R. 1506, he or she will be saving American consumers $33 billion dollars at the pump, PER YEAR, reducing our dependence on foreign oil by 1.6 million barrels, PER DAY, and reducing global warming pollution emissions by 285 million tons, PER YEAR.  He or she will be creating jobs for thousands of Americans and saving each and every one of us money at the gas pump.  Your representative needs to be held accountable for his or her vote, because this is a vote that's going to affect every citizen in this country for generations.  Call them now and tell them to vote for the strongest fuel economy legislation possible.  If they do, call them next week and thank them.  If they don't, call them next week and tell them they voted wrong.  That's how democracy is supposed to work.

On the Road Again

It's 6:45 am Thursday morning and it's time to start what may be our busiest day thus far.  After some time in Carlisle, PA this morning, we'll be trekking over to Johnstown, PA, home of outspoken Iraq-War critic Representative John Murtha.  Unfortunately, he hasn't been that outspoken yet about the importance of higher fuel economy standards in reducing our dependence on foreign oil, but we're hoping some calls from his constituents will give him a needed kick in the pants.   If H. R. 1506 passes, it will reduce our use of oil by 1.6 million barrels a day by 2020, the same amount we currently import from Saudi Arabia.  A recent poll conducted by the Yale Center for Environmental Law and Policy found that 93% of Americans consider our dependence on foreign oil a serious problem, and passing strong fuel economy legislation should be a serious priority for anyone who believes we are addicted to oil. 

After John, Serena, and I see who can drum up the most calls to Congress in Johnstown, we'll be heading over to the Steel City to work on Reps. Mike Doyle and Jason Altmire this evening and tomorrow.  Anyone in the Pittsburgh area can keep an eye out for us downtown on Friday as we drum up more calls to Congress to get Reps. Doyle and Altmire on board.

On a side note, John managed to get his first few callers while we were in Philadelphia yesterday, so he's on the board.
The tally stands at:
Serena: 10
Scott: 11
John:  3

If you've got time, call John and tell him to work harder to get citizens to call their members of Congress.  Before you do that, though, make sure you've called YOUR member of Congress and told him or her to cosponsor H.R. 1506 and to vote for the strongest fuel economy legislation possible next week.  You can call 202-224-3121, tell the operator your zip code, and he or she will connect you directly with your Representative's office. 

Saving gas and Creating New Jobs

I'm not an accountant, but it's pretty apparent that consumers save money by driving fuel efficient vehicles.

If Congress passes the strongest and best piece of fuel economy legislation - HR 1506 - we can not only save consumers a lot of money, we can create new jobs as well.

Recent analysis by our friends at the Union of Concerned Scientists shows the impact of fuel economy legislation for consumers. Pennsylvanians could save $1.3 billion annually with 35 mpg in 2020. And, Pennsylvania could gain 9,900 jobs.

Believe

We spent most of Tuesday in Baltimore - home of Orioles, the Inner Harbor, and 'The Wire.'

The marketing people in B-more have a slogan up everywhere  - on trash cans, banners, and street lamps all throughout the city.

An understated background with one lone word in the middle.

Believe.

I like it. It's simple, direct, and hopeful.

Frankly, that slogan could be applied to our fight for greater fuel economy.

We have the technology to make a difference. We just need some political leaders to keep the faith and believe in something that is much bigger than you or me. It's about reducing America's dependence on oil.  It’s about giving consumers more choices when they buy a new car.  It’s about reducing the global warming pollution that spews out of our tailpipes.  And we can do it all RIGHT NOW. All we need to do is believe in the American people.

After all, 90% of Americans are ready for 35 mpg.

After wrapping up our day in Baltimore, we slogged through the five o’clock traffic and up 95 to Philadelphia – from Charm City to the City of Brotherly Love.

35 MPG or Bust

35 MPG or Bust

Meet the crew going on the latest Drive Beyond Oil road trip:

Scott Laeser, left, is a communications intern at the NRDC Action Fund. He grew up in Kenosha, Wisconsin, holds a B.S. from the University of Wisconsin-Madison and is pursuing a Master of Environmental Management from the Yale School of Forestry and Environmental Studies.

Serena Ingre, center, is the press secretary for state outreach for the NRDC Action Fund. A native of Ecuador, Serena is fluent in Spanish and holds an M.A. in International Development and Environmental Policy from American University's School of International Service.

John Grant, right, is the campaign manager for the NRDC Action Fund. A native of Blacksburg, Virginia, he holds a B.A. from North Carolina State University and an M.A. from the Graduate School of Political Management at George Washington University.