As the new home of MASSPIRG's environmental work, Environment Massachusetts can be contacted regarding this news release.
BOSTON—Environmental
groups in Massachusetts are responding to President Bush’s gas price
announcement with an announcement of their own: oil addiction and
global warming go hand-in-hand, and solving one helps to solve the
other.
“Transportation
puts out more global warming pollution than any other sector and is the
biggest cause of our oil dependence,” said Brian Thurber of Clean Water
Action. “We can take a big bite out of two major problems by adopting
policies that would reduce our use of oil as a transportation fuel.”
“Shifting Gears
(PDF),” a report released today by the MASSPIRG Education Fund, Clean
Water Fund, and Mass. Climate Action Network, outlines twenty policies
focusing on cleaner vehicles, public transportation, and smart growth
that would, if adopted by the region’s governors and legislators, help
to reduce global warming pollution in the region.
“As
long as demand is high, prices will stay high, and we’ll be burning
fuel that warms the planet. If we get serious about solving global
warming, we’ll be using tools that will also help to end our oil
addiction,” said Frank Gorke, Energy Advocate for MASSPIRG. “The
President’s announcement is disappointing because it fails to take any
significant steps to solve either problem. The smart way to respond to
high oil and gas prices is to reduce demand and shift to cleaner, safer
alternatives.”
“Though
the Romney-Healey administration has kept our state on the sidelines of
the regional plan to reduce global warming pollution from power plants,
there are cost-effective steps we can take to address pollution from
the transportation sector,” said Marc Breslow of the Massachusetts
Climate Action Network. “Cleaning up global warming pollution from cars
and trucks is crucial to avoid the worst impacts of global warming.
Fortunately, it will also help with high gas prices and our oil
addiction.”
Shifting
Gears lays out 20 “bright ideas” that the region’s leaders should
consider in their efforts to build a more sustainable transportation
system. Many of these ideas are already being implemented in parts of
New England or elsewhere.
Reducing Per-Mile Vehicle Emissions
1. Adopt and defend the clean cars program with carbon dioxide tailpipe
limits – States adopting the full clean cars program can expect to
roughly stabilize emissions of carbon dioxide from cars and light
trucks within the next two decades.
2.
Create incentives for the purchase of more fuel-efficient vehicles – A
program that combines fees for gas-guzzlers with cash rebates to
purchasers of fuel-efficient vehicles could reduce global warming
pollution from light-duty vehicles in the region by 5 to 31 percent
below projected levels by 2020.
3.
Require fuel-saving tires – By setting energy efficiency standards for
tires, states could achieve a roughly 3 percent increase in vehicle
fuel economy at little cost and without compromising safety.
4.
Reduce emissions from government and transit fleets – Hybrid-electric
buses can curb global warming emissions by 10 to 15 percent versus
conventional buses.
Encouraging Transit and Transportation Alternatives
5. Invest in the region’s rail infrastructure and develop a long-term
rail plan – Passenger trains emit about half as much global warming
pollution per passenger-mile as car or air travel.
6.
Expand suburb-to-suburb transit opportunities – By using smaller
vehicles and more flexible routes, transit agencies in states like New
Jersey have delivered effective service in hard-to-reach suburbs.
7.
Improve transit in small cities and towns – Partnerships with local
governments and major employers have helped rural and small-city
transit agencies in New England extend their reach and bolster service.
8.
Expand pedestrian and bicycling opportunities – Careful planning and
infrastructure investments can reverse the decline in non-motorized
transportation.
Promoting “Smart Growth”
9. Redevelop urban areas in a sustainable way – State policy can
encourage the redevelopment of old industrial and residential areas in
cities, where per-capita global warming emissions from transportation
are much lower than in newer suburbs. Redevelopment should be
pedestrian friendly, incorporate mixed uses, be accessible to transit,
and provide opportunities for existing residents to benefit from
neighborhood improvements.
10.
Encourage compact development – Through revised zoning laws, many towns
are returning to a more compact, traditional New England style of
development that relies less on the automobile and can allow people to
complete more of their daily tasks via transit, by bicycle or on foot.
11.
Support transit-oriented development – Providing residential and
commercial opportunities near transit stations can magnify the benefits
of transit and reduce vehicle travel.
12.
Discourage sprawl by making it pay its own way – In Maryland and
elsewhere, state and local governments are eliminating public subsidies
for sprawling development, thereby encouraging more sustainable use of
land and resources.
Reducing Single-Passenger Automobile Commuting
13. Create and expand commute-trip reduction programs – Employer-based
programs to discourage single-passenger commuting can cut rush-hour
automobile trips by as much as 20 percent.
14.
Encourage workers to live near their work or live near transit – Long
automobile commutes are responsible for an increasing share of global
warming emissions. Public and private policies should encourage people
to live nearer to their work or closer to public transit, thus reducing
the need for long trips to and from work.
Reallocating the Costs of Driving
15. Calculate auto insurance rates by the mile – Shifting automobile
insurance from a flat, yearly rate to one calculated by the mile can
discourage excessive driving (particularly among the most dangerous
drivers) – both reducing crashes and global warming pollution. Other
insurance reforms can assign the proper risk premium to heavier,
less-efficient SUVs.
16.
Allocate fairly the costs of parking – Many employers provide free
parking to employees – and many towns require ample parking for stores
and businesses – but few subsidize transit or provide equal benefits to
pedestrians or bike riders. Reducing parking requirements and “leveling
the playing field” for transportation alternatives can eliminate these
subsidies for driving.
17.
Eliminate other subsidies for driving – From government highway
maintenance expenditures to fuel subsidies, taxpayers often subsidize
excessive driving. Making individuals pay the full cost of driving will
encourage cleaner and less-expensive alternatives.
Reforming Transportation Planning and Finance
18. Consider adoption of least-cost planning – Demand reduction,
transit and other alternatives are often cheaper and less polluting
ways to solve transportation problems in the long run than building new
highways. “Least-cost” planning that incorporates the social costs of
automobile driving and the long-term benefits of stable transit
infrastructure may reduce global warming emissions and reduce the cost
of transportation overall.
19.
Consider global warming in transportation planning – Transportation
plans should fully factor in the impact of new highways and other
projects on the climate.
20.
Fund transit and other alternatives at higher levels – New England
states have not taken full advantage of the ability to use federal
funds for cleaner transportation options, and many lack any stable
source of funding for transit. Prioritizing funding for transit and
other clean options can help get badly needed projects off the drawing
board and into place, and help transit agencies maintain high levels of
service and reasonable fares.
