Spring Break
SUVS adding nails to the coffin
Issue date: 4/29/05 Section: Opinion
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According to the EPA, increasing concentrations of greenhouse gases are likely to accelerate climate change, including a temperature increase of anywhere from 1 to 4.5 degrees over the next 50 years. Recent scientific studies consistently confirm that at least part of this climate change is manmade.
One of the most significant choices individuals can make to reduce global warming pollution is to drive high-fuel economy vehicles, as every gallon of gasoline burned emits 20 pounds of carbon dioxide. A car that gets about 30 miles per gallon will emit 50 tons of carbon dioxide in its lifetime, while an SUV that gets 14 miles per gallon will emit more than 100 tons of the greenhouse gas.
SUVs have contributed to America's declining fuel economy, which averaged 24 miles per gallon in 2000, the lowest in two decades. Ironically, the vehicles touted for their capacity to transport consumers "back to nature" aid in the depletion our natural resources.
In 2001, a mere 5 percent of SUVs were driven off-road, and the highway monsters accounted for one in every four new vehicles sold.
Legally, SUVs are characterized as 'light trucks,' which must achieve 20 miles per gallon. However, some SUVs, such as the Ford Excursion and the obscene Hummer H2, are so massive that they don't qualify as light trucks, and escape fuel economy standards.
This loophole is criminal. No vehicles, nor their drivers, should be exempt from adhering to fuel economy standards. Even skeptics of global warming must accept that burning less gas could only help the environment and air quality.
It is a shame that Americans must be faced with a physical threat to their safety and health before making healthier, more environmentally responsible decisions. It's an even bigger shame that, even when alerted to such a threat, so many choose to deny or ignore its causes and consequences.
One of the most significant choices individuals can make to reduce global warming pollution is to drive high-fuel economy vehicles, as every gallon of gasoline burned emits 20 pounds of carbon dioxide. A car that gets about 30 miles per gallon will emit 50 tons of carbon dioxide in its lifetime, while an SUV that gets 14 miles per gallon will emit more than 100 tons of the greenhouse gas.
SUVs have contributed to America's declining fuel economy, which averaged 24 miles per gallon in 2000, the lowest in two decades. Ironically, the vehicles touted for their capacity to transport consumers "back to nature" aid in the depletion our natural resources.
In 2001, a mere 5 percent of SUVs were driven off-road, and the highway monsters accounted for one in every four new vehicles sold.
Legally, SUVs are characterized as 'light trucks,' which must achieve 20 miles per gallon. However, some SUVs, such as the Ford Excursion and the obscene Hummer H2, are so massive that they don't qualify as light trucks, and escape fuel economy standards.
This loophole is criminal. No vehicles, nor their drivers, should be exempt from adhering to fuel economy standards. Even skeptics of global warming must accept that burning less gas could only help the environment and air quality.
It is a shame that Americans must be faced with a physical threat to their safety and health before making healthier, more environmentally responsible decisions. It's an even bigger shame that, even when alerted to such a threat, so many choose to deny or ignore its causes and consequences.
