Pres. Obama Announces Breakthrough on Fuel Emission Standards Reform

Yesterday President Obama announced during a press conference his plans for changes in national standards for Fuel Emissions.

Without such changes being enforced his ideology for Clean Energy and Green Jobs will be nothing more than a fantasy.

During the press conference he was joined by Presidents, CEOs, or other top executives from Ford, Toyota, General Motors, Honda, Chrysler, BMW AG, Nissan, Mercedez-Benz, Mazda, Volkswagon, and the United Auto Workers.

President Obama: "First of all, Speaker Nancy Pelosi, who has just been cracking the whip and, you know, making Congress so productive over these last several days. We are grateful for her. My wonderful Secretary of Transportation, Ray LaHood, is in the house. Lisa Jackson, the outstanding administrator of EPA. Some of the finest governors in the country are here -- let me take them in order of good looks -- sorry, Arnold. Jennifer Granholm of Michigan, Governor Deval Patrick of Massachusetts, and Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger of California."

"Barbara Boxer just had to leave -- the head of the Environment Committee in the Senate, who'd done just outstanding work. And Senators Feinstein, Levin and Stabenow couldn't be here because they're busy voting on credit card legislation that we're going to get done before Memorial Day."

"And we've got two outstanding members of the House of Representatives, John Dingell -- where's John? Right here. The Dean of the House who's done so much extraordinary work around these issues, Sandy Levin. Please give them a round of applause."

"I also want to mention Ron Gettlefinger of the UAW, our president who's just been a great leader during some very trying times in the auto industry, and Carol Browner, who helped to make this all happen today. Please give Carol Browner a big round of applause."

"Since I'm acknowledging everybody -- I'm in a voluble mood today -- let me go ahead and acknowledge my other members of the Cabinet who are here who are part of our energy green team and do just outstanding work on an ongoing basis. First of all, my Secretary of Labor, Hilda Solis."

"The guy who's just cleaning up the Department of Interior and doing an extraordinary job, Ken Salazar. Our head of HUD, Shaun Donovan and our Commerce Secretary, Gary Locke."

"Now, thank you all for coming to the White House today, and for coming together around what I consider to be a historic agreement to help America break its dependence on oil, reduce harmful pollution, and begin the transition to a clean energy economy."

"First, there is the standard for fuel economy administered by the Department of Transportation. On top of that, the Environmental Protection Agency, in response to a decision by the Supreme Court, may have to set limits on greenhouse gas emissions from vehicles -- establishing another standard. California has sought permission under the Clean Air Act to require that vehicles sold in California meet yet another even stricter emission rule. And 13 states and the District of Columbia have agreed to adopt California greenhouse gas reductions if the permission -- called a waiver -- is granted."

"Car companies might then face three different sets of overlapping requirements, one administered by the Department of Transportation, one administered by the EPA, and still a third administered by California and 13 other states. This proposed national policy, under the leadership of two agencies -- and bringing together 14 states, 10 companies, as well as auto workers and environmental groups -- changes all that. The goal is to set one national standard that will rapidly increase fuel efficiency -- without compromising safety -- by an average of 5 percent each year between 2012 and 2016, building on the 2011 standard my administration set shortly after taking office."



Sources: Whitehouse.gov, CBS News, Flickr, Youtube