Thank you for the opportunity to testify today. My name is Mike Somers and I am a representative of the Arizona PIRG Education Fund. The Arizona PIRG Education Fund conducts research and education on public interest issues. I am here today to urge the EPA to grant California’s waiver request and give Arizona and all states the power to cut global warming pollution from cars and light trucks.
As you are likely aware, in February 2005, Governor Napolitano established a Climate Change Advisory Group (CCAG) comprised of 35 diverse stakeholders. The Arizona PIRG Education Fund was an active participant in the CCAG’s Transportation and Land Use Working Group. Over the course of the next year and a half, the CCAG and its working groups discussed a variety of policies that could reduce global warming pollution in Arizona. The Clean Cars Program emerged as one of the top policy options to reduce global warming pollution in Arizona and received a unanimous recommendation to the governor by the full CCAG. In Executive Order 2006-13, Governor Napolitano called for adoption and implementation of the Clean Cars Program. The rulemaking process has not yet begun.
In part, through the Governor’s Executive Order and the CCAG process, it was recognized that investing now in Arizona’s growing infrastructure can make enormous differences down the road; Arizona can significantly reduce its global warming pollution by creating and implementing programs to achieve the greatest emission savings; and Arizona could make major strides towards reducing its share of global warming pollution by ensuring our state had cleaner cars.
The Arizona PIRG Education Fund’s report, “Cars and Global Warming: Policy Options to Reduce Arizona’s Global Warming Pollution from Cars and Light Trucks” documents how Arizona could limit its contribution to global warming over the next two decades by implementing policies to reduce carbon dioxide emissions from cars and light trucks. Furthermore Cars and Global Warming states that controlling global warming pollution from the transportation sector—particularly cars and light trucks—is essential if Arizona is to reduce its emissions and its long-term impact on the climate.
According to Cars and Global Warming, transportation-related emissions are responsible for approximately 39 percent of Arizona’s global warming pollution. Cars and light trucks--such as pickups, minivans and SUVs—are the most important sources of global warming pollution within the transportation sector, responsible for approximately 60 percent of all emissions from transportation and more than one-fifth of Arizona’s total emissions of global warming pollution.
The Arizona PIRG Education Fund’s report documents how carbon dioxide pollution from cars and light trucks in Arizona could double from 1990 to 2020 unless action is taken to reduce emissions.
According to the report, by implementing the Clean Cars Program to take place effect in model year 2011 (calendar year 2010), Arizona could reduce carbon dioxide pollution from cars and light trucks by about 14 percent below projected levels by 2020. Once the program is fully implemented in 2016, consumers are projected to save at least $3 to $7 every month as a result of the standards – and more if gasoline prices remain high.
Arizona, California, the other states that have adopted the Clean Cars Program and other states that are considering the adoption of the Clean Cars Program deserve the green light to establish limits on health-damaging pollution and global warming pollution from automobiles.
California has acted based upon the facts—that cars and SUVs are a major contributor to global warming pollution—and rationally acted to reduce that pollution at the source. It is important to remember that California’s standards were developed over four years with careful and measured technical review and public input. It is important to remember that
passenger vehicles are the largest source of global warming emissions in California, responsible for approximately 40% of carbon dioxide emissions in the state. And it is important to remember that California’s program would significantly cut global warming pollution from passenger vehicles in the state. Beginning in model year 2009, California’s program would require automakers to reduce the average amount of global warming pollution from their cars, light trucks and SUVs. By 2015, new cars would be required to emit 34% and light trucks 25% less global warming pollution on average.
Furthermore, California’s standards are feasible. They can be met with technology already in the market and will save vehicle owners in lower maintenance and operating costs over the lifetimes of the vehicle. The standards give automakers flexibility to apply any technology they choose to reduce global warming emissions, including production of vehicles that use lower carbon fuels.
In conclusion, California and the other states that have adopted the California program account for more than one-third of the U.S. auto market. By cutting global warming pollution from tailpipes, these states can help make a big dent in the emissions reductions we need to achieve to avoid the worst effects of global warming and will save money for consumers.
On behalf of the Arizona PIRG Education Fund, I urge the EPA to grant California’s waiver request and give states the power to cut global warming pollution from cars and light trucks.
