Honors 203/Chemistry 110: Issues and Mini-Essays

Honors 203/Chemistry 110

Chemistry and Issues in the Environment

CAFE Standards Issue

Should the US raise CAFE (Corporate Automobile Fuel Efficiency) standards for light trucks and SUVs?

Issue Summary

Corporate Automobile Fuel Efficiency or CAFE standards are in place to regulate the average fuel efficiency of vehicles. These are currently set at 27.5 mpg for cars and 21.2 mpg for light trucks (set to rise to 22.2 by 2007). In a given model year, an automobile corporation must manufacture autos and light trucks that are fuel-efficient enough such that their corporate averages reach these standards. The corporate average is the average mpg across their entire fleet of vehicles in the given class. It is possible for an automaker to make more or less efficient cars and trucks, as long as their average reaches the CAFE Standards. Currently, autos and light trucks/SUVs under 8500 lbs are subject to these standards. Many larger vehicles, such as Hummers, large trucks and SUVs weigh more than 8500 lbs fully loaded and are thus exempt from these regulations.

Environmental groups urge action and see raising CAFE standards as a helpful step in reducing CO₂ and other tailpipe emissions. Other groups, including automakers and various political and citizen groups favor alternative approaches citing safety, economic concerns and consumer needs. In general, these groups tend to prefer voluntary programs, tax rebates on high-efficiency vehicles and free market solutions over raising CAFE standards.

Currently under consideration is a new Reformed CAFE program. In Reformed CAFE, autos are divided into classes by footprint, and different fuel economy standards would be adopted for each class.

Discussion Questions

Using the web based resources below, investigate this issue and formulate your own opinion. Some questions to consider:

Should the U.S. raise CAFE Standards for light trucks and SUVs?
- If so, how high should they be raised? (to the same standards as autos, some lesser amount, or should both CAFE standards be raised?)
- If not, what, if anything, should the U.S. do instead?
Do you support the proposed new Reformed CAFE rules? Why or why not?
What are your primary concerns and how have these influenced your opinion?

Bring to class a 2 page mini-essay draft describing your viewpoint. Your essay need not be long, but you should indicate your primary reasons for your decision and make appropriate references to evidence and information you have gathered from your research.

Collect all sources at the end as well as citing within the text, see: Citation Guidelines.

Web Resources

Background Information

Proposed new Reformed CAFE: National Highway Transportation Safety Administration (NHTSA): Light Truck Fuel Economy Standard Rulemaking (Model Years 2008-2011)
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has a lot of background information available. Here are some specific links you may find helpful.
- The Plain English Guide to the Clean Air Act from the EPA. Includes sections on pollutants from gasoline use and the properties of common air pollutants.
- EPA's Global Warming Site
- Concerned Citizens and Consumer Information from the EPA's Office of Transportation and Air Quality.
- EPA Fuel Economy Fast Facts
- The EPA's Green Vehicle Guide
FuelEconomy.gov - A fuel economy in formation site from the U.S. Department of Energy and the EPA.

Sites For Raising CAFE Standards:

SUV Report from the Sierra Club, an environmental organization. See also their CAFE fast facts and Biggest Single Step documents.
- See also: A press release Bush Administration Fuel Economy Proposal Fails to Address Rising Gas Prices (8/23/05)
Greener SUVs from the Union for Concerned Scientists. Also see a CAFE: Going Farther on a gallon of gas, and Questions and Answers on Fuel Economy
- New: A press release from July, 2005: Feds Propose New Fuel Economy Rules for Pickups, SUVs and Minivans
The National Resources Defense Council's "Clean Air and Energy: Transportation" site. NRDC is a non-profit environmental organization. See in particular the report: Clean Gateway: Towards Safe and Efficient Vehicles. A press release summarizing the report is also available.

Sites Against Raising CAFE Standards:

Government Should Steer Clear of the Fuel Economy Issue (2002) and Redesigning Trucks (August 2005) from the Cato Institute.
Auto Cafe Standards: Unsafe and Unwise at Any Level - An essay from the Heritage Foundation. See also: Fuel Economy Standards: Do they Work? Do they Kill?.
Ford Motor Company's views on fuel economy and CAFE standards.
Bizjournals.com article An opinion piece from a quite different business perspective (1999).
New CAFÉ Standards Dangerous at Any Speed> from Americans for Tax Reform (2002)
>The Alliance of Automobile Manufacturers has a page on Fuel Efficiency and theirPosition on CAFE.

Sites Not Specifically Pro or Con

Relationships between Vehicle Size and Fatality Risk in Model Year 1985-93 Passenger Cars and Light Trucks - A report from the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration (NHTSA)
Effectiveness and Impact of Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE) Standards (2002) A report with recommendations from the National Academy of Sciences. Lots of analysis and recommendations.

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Questions should be directed to Dr. Kimberly Lawler-Sagarin: ksagarin@elmhurst.edu