Tailpipe Pollution Safeguards | Healthy Climate Wisconsin

CAr pollution

CURBS CLIMATE GOALS AND HUMAN HEALTH

Background

On April 12, 2023, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) proposed a new plan to reduce harmful tailpipe pollution from passenger cars and light trucks starting with model year 2027.

The EPA’s current proposal is a good start, but it must be even stronger to curb pollution and improve public health. Within the proposal, the EPA has said it will consider more stringent alternatives. Health professionals must ask the EPA to finalize air pollution safeguards on passenger cars and light trucks that are at least as strong as Alternative 1 in its proposal. The EPA is accepting comments until July 5.

What can you ask for?

Ask the EPA to finalize air pollution safeguards on cars and light trucks that are at least as strong as Alternative 1 in its proposal.

For the U.S. to meet its Paris Climate Agreement goals we need the strongest possible long-term pollution safeguards that will reduce car and light truck greenhouse gas emissions 75% by 2030, putting the country on a path to a 100% zero-emission new vehicle sales target by 2035.
According to the EPA’s analysis, the transportation sector accounts for 27% of greenhouse gas emissions and is the fastest-growing emitter of greenhouse gases.

Ask the EPA to move quickly and finalize these new safeguards by the end of the year!

The American Lung Association’s report “Zeroing in on Healthy Air” found that a nationwide transition to zero-emission cars, light trucks, and heavy-duty vehicles –coupled with a transition to zero-emission electricity – would result in:
o 110,000 premature deaths prevented (nationwide, 2020-2050)
o $1.2 trillion in health benefits (nationwide, 2020-2050)
o $1.7 trillion in additional climate benefits (global, 2020-2050)

Ask the EPA to set the strongest possible air pollution safeguards on cars and light truck emissions to protect those most vulnerable, including communities of color.

Low-wealth and BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, People of Color) communities experience disproportionate harm from dirty vehicle pollution, leading to increased rates of asthma and other respiratory illnesses.
Low-wealth and BIPOC communities are often closest to highways and bear the greatest burden from vehicle pollution.

Take Action

The EPA's process for submitting public comments can be difficult to navigate, so we created a tool that is completely editable for you to make your voice heard! We encourage you to add your story or make edits to the message body because personal comments are the most impactful. If you do not see a prompt to compose your message below, you may need to disable pop-up blockers on your browser to take action.

Take Me To The Next Action >

FAQ

What types of pollution do cars and light trucks emit?

The transportation sector accounts for more than 55% of nitrous oxide (NOx) emissions in the U.S.
In 2020, the national passenger vehicle fleet represented approximately 94 percent of the nation’s on-road vehicles and generated over one million tons of ozone- and particle-forming NOx emissions, and over 33,400 tons of fine particles annually.

What are the health effects of exposure to pollution from car and light truck emissions?

Exposure to air pollution can lead to health problems, including increased risk of asthma attacks, strokes, heart attacks, cancer and premature deaths.

How is climate change related to pollution from cars and light trucks?

Transportation is one of the largest sources of greenhouse gas emissions in the U.S. Transportation accounted for the largest portion (27%) of total U.S. greenhouse gas emissions in 2020. Cleaning up emissions from cars and light trucks plays a critical role in limiting catastrophic climate change.
Greenhouse gas emissions contribute to climate change, which poses threats to Americans’ health and well-being, affecting everything from the air we breathe to the places we live. Extreme weather events caused by climate change create more air and water pollution, destabilize food sources, and put our homes and lives at risk.

Will enacting strong pollution limits on car and light truck emissions hurt the economy, auto workers, or manufacturers?

Over the past five decades, adopting clean car standards has been one of the most significant actions the U.S. has taken to reduce its reliance on oil and save drivers money at the pump, according to a 2022 analysis by the Natural Resources Defense Council.
As of September 2022, automakers and battery manufacturers worldwide will spend more than $626 billion through 2030 to develop new zero-emission cars, passenger trucks, freight trucks and buses. That is a $110 billion increase from projections in April of 2022. These investments are estimated to lead to more than 18,000 direct U.S. jobs related to the medium- and heavy-duty sector.

I have additional questions, who can I talk to?

Send an email to WHPCAcomms@gmail.com and we would be happy to help!

Check out this great video from our partners in Minnesota, the Health Professionals for a Healthy Climate