A Small Step in the Right Direction

Finally, after years of caving into special interests, the US Congress is poised to increase national fuel efficiency standards– to 35 miles a gallon by 2020, up from the current average of 25. In Europe, however, vehicles average 37 miles a gallon right now, and this will increase to 50 by 2012. The current average in Japan is 45 miles a gallon. So, a small step, but we need to keep some perspective here. The American propensity for driving enormous anti-social vehicles is the equivalent of giving the finger to the rest of humanity, those born and yet to be born. Let’s hope this changes.