Safe Climate Campaign

By Thomas L. Friedman

...Dan Becker, director of the Safe Climate Campaign of the Center for Auto Safety, said the mileage deal “is the biggest single step that any nation has taken to cut global warming pollution,” but he cautioned that, like any Washington compromise, it does contain loopholes that “give the auto companies opportunities to behave irresponsibly — if they choose.” If the companies’ total fleet mix of cars and trucks stays roughly as projected, they would hit the 54.5 m.p.g. target by 2025. But, because the deal allows for a weaker mileage standard for trucks than cars, Becker added, “if the industry as a whole decides to make many more trucks than now projected, we will not achieve the 54.5 m.p.g. target, although average mileage would still improve significantly from today’s levels.”...