NASA’s Goddard Institute for Space Sciences released a December 2008 study that links carbon dioxide and soot  emissions (both of which are emitted from conventional and diesel fueled vehicles) with immediate, postive climate change benefits. By Douglas Fisher - Scientific American, December 15, 2008. Read the entire article

The 1996 Summer Olympic Games in Atlanta provided researchers with a rare opportunity to observe the positive impact that decreased automobile traffic can have on pediatric asthma. Because of citywide efforts to reduce such traffic during the games, the rate of childhood asthma episodes requiring acute care fell dramatically for a short time, a recent ecological study by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) found.  Read entire article. By Timothy Begany - PulmonaryReviews.com, May 2001.

“Passenger cars account for 17% of U.S. emissions — something consumers could affect by driving more-efficient cars or by driving less. Residential buildings and appliances contribute another 17% of emissions, underscoring the impact consumers could have if they lived in smaller buildings, or added more insulation, or bought a more energy-efficient model next time they replaced their washing machine”  Read entire article in Wall St. Journal

by Jeffrey Ball
Wall Street Journal - October 2, 2008

The Environmental Law & Policy Center commends President Barack Obama’s directive to the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to reconsider the prior administration’s decision denying the waiver for 14 states that have enacted legislation to reduce the global warming pollution from cars.

“President Obama’s action will spur automakers to develop the cleaner cars and innovative pollution reduction technologies that that public wants,” said Howard A. Learner, Executive Director of the Environmental Law & Policy Center. “We appreciate President Obama’s actions to remove the prior administration’s roadblock to states moving forward.  Illinois now has a green light to enact the clean car legislation that is currently being considered.”

The state’s proposed legislation would cut global warming pollution from passenger vehicles by 30 percent by 2016. The transportation sector is the second largest source of global warming pollution nationwide.  Pollution from cars and trucks is also a leading cause of asthma and other public health problems.

Supporters of the Illinois Clean Cars Act turned out yesterday for a rally in downtown Chicago backing the bill. The Environmental Law & Policy Center is a key sponsor of Clean Cars Illinois, the grassroots campaign advocating for the legislation. House Bill 3424 would save $8.4 billion in the cost of gas, resulting in increased spending in Illinois and over 90,000 new jobs. The legislation would require the state to adopt the same clean-car standards in place in California, which would reduce emissions here. Fuel-efficient vehicles also would improve air quality and public health, including asthma and allergies. Learn more about the clean car legislation in Breathing Free in Illinois [pdf file] a report published recently by ELPC. Read more about the rally in coverage from the Chicago Tribune.