Dear Friend of Don’t Be Fueled! Mothers for Clean and Safe Vehicles:
We’re pleased to present our 2004 year-end newsletter. Better late than never – it’s been an eventful year! Happy reading and Happy New Year!
Bye-bye “Hummer” Tax Loophole
During the fall, Congress finally took action to phase out the tax loophole
allowing small business buyers of giant SUVs, such as the Hummer, to deduct
upwards of $100,000 of the purchase on their tax return. Previously, business
operators could claim for company use models weighing more than 6,000 pounds
fully loaded and write off most, if not all, of the costs on their tax returns.
Whereas the tax credit was supposed to benefit farmers and contractors who actually
need the heavy vehicles for work, many other businesses realized they could
meet the weight limit with the larger SUVs. Thus doctors, lawyers, accountants
and others who didn’t need any kind of truck -- light or heavy -- exploited
the loophole and will be guzzling much more gas than necessary in their business
travel for years to come.
This giant public policy planning boo-boo offered people an almost irresistible incentive to choose huge, gas-guzzling trucks and SUVs when they didn’t need them. Then, in May 2003 Congress quadrupled the loophole as part of an “economic stimulus” package of tax breaks for business. SUV sales held steady despite high gas prices. Car dealers got in on the game by touting the heaviest models and advertising the tax loophole.
The loophole tightened as soon as President Bush signed this year's corporate
tax bill in October, which includes language that dramatically reduces the deduction
to $25,000 for vehicles weighing under 14,000. A rush of SUV sales late in the
year by small business owners hoping to cash in was inevitable, but the law
change should diminish the future popularity of the 4-wheeled monsters!
Hybrids get carpool lane privileges
One semi-bright spot appeared on the legislative front in late September when
California Governor Schwarzenegger signed State Assembly Bill 71 allowing solo
drivers of selected hybrid vehicles onto the state’s 1,100 miles of carpool-designated
highway lanes. The new law provides 75,000 permits for owners of gas-electric
automobiles that average a minimum of 45 miles per gallon to drive with only
one occupant in the commuter lanes, such as Honda’s Insight and Civic
hybrids, and Toyota’s Prius. The hope is that this program will kick demand
for hybrids (which already far exceeds automakers’ expectations) into
high gear, spurring automakers to offer more high-mileage models. Hybrid car
owners should not hit the carpool lanes until further notice (unless, of course,
they've got enough passengers to qualify as a carpool). Congress must pass a
law authorizing California's law and President Bush must sign it. Assuming this
happens -- which is iffy -- hybrid car owners will still have to obtain a "Clean
Air Vehicle Decal” from the DMV in order to avoid getting ticketed.
To see a list of qualifying vehicles, click http://www.arb.ca.gov/msprog/carpool/carpool.htm
SUVs especially deadly for teenage drivers
The safest car for a new, young driver is a boring, medium-sized family sedan,
according to experts. A report on PBS this fall established that SUVs pose increased
dangers to young drivers because of their propensity to roll over and because
their sheer size gives a false sense of safety which encourages aggressive driving.
Unfortunately, too many parents buy or hand down SUVs to teens, falsely believing
the myth that SUVs are safer.
Daimler-Chrysler to sell "Smart" cars in the US starting
2005
The US Environmental Protection Agency has given the green light to Smart Cars
of America (a Daimler-Chrysler company) to offer its Smart-For-Two model for
sale to US markets. Already the rage throughout Europe, single- and multiple-occupant
models get 60 miles per gallon. The entry-level For-Two Coupe will cost as little
as $15,000, while a loaded model might reach $34,000. D-C has already set up
a waiting list for these tiny, cute urban mini cars. For more information, go
to http://www.smartcarofamerica.com.
Ozone pollution linked to more deaths
Confirming what has long been suspected about the deleterious effects of ozone
pollution or smog, a new study done by Yale and Johns Hopkins Universities and
published in The Journal of American Medicine (11/2004) confirms that exposure
to ground-level ozone is associated with an increased risk of death in the US.
Increases in the ozone contribute to thousands of deaths every year. Ground-level
ozone is the main ingredient of smog and a major contributor to respiratory
illness, such as asthma, chronic bronchitis and emphysema.
We draw attention to these findings because vehicle tailpipe emissions are the single largest source of the “ozone-precursor” pollutants that create ozone pollution.
Ozone pollution is projected to increase along with our region's growing population -- unless the Bay Area cuts down on its use of diesel- and gasoline-powered engines. According to the American Lung Association, an assessment of high ozone days in San Francisco County merited a grade of “A” in 2004, Alameda and Los Angeles Counties an “F,” and Contra Costa County a “D.”
What we’ve been up to:
Along with eleven other non-profit organizations, DBF co-sponsored a lecture
by Pulitzer-prize-winning journalist Ross Gelbspan on December 3rd in Mill Valley.
One of the nation’s best known authors on global warming and climate change
issues, Gelbspan talked about his riveting new book, “Boiling Point: How
Politicians, Big Oil and Coal, Journalists and Activists Are Fueling the Climate
Crisis--And What We Can Do to Avert Disaster.” This fascinating talk was
a great success and we highly recommend Gelbspan's book.
DBF Founders in the News Spotlight:
The “Chronicle” recently ran separate articles about Betsy Rosenberg
and Lauren Klein-Hayes, two mediagenic founding members of Don’t Be Fueled!
"I want to reframe environmental issues to connect the dots between personal
and planetary health. How did we end up with mercury in our tuna so that my
daughter can't eat it more than once a month?" Rosenberg said in “Environmental
Activist Colors The Airwaves Green,” October 29, 2004. Please click
here to read the whole profile
"The environment isn't a liberal issue, or shouldn't be seen as such,"
said Lauren Klein Hayes, who has served on numerous boards and committees of
conservation groups and foundations, while raising her two teenagers. "It
shouldn't be partisan. This should be about our health, the public's health,
economics and longevity." Quoted from “Eco-warriors: Co-founder of
Rainforest Action Network And Activist Spouse Take Fight For Environment One
Step At A Time,” December 17, 2004. Click
here to read more.
This just in:
A coalition of major automakers initiated legal action in federal court early
in December to challenge California’s recently passed tough anti-pollution
law. Joining a group of California Central Valley auto dealers, the Alliance
of Automobile Manufacturers (which includes all big car companies other than
Honda and Nissan) is asking the Court to overturn a state law requiring a sharp
decrease in greenhouse gas emissions by 30 percent by 2014. Their suit claims
that the federal law grants sole authority to the National Highway Traffic Safety
Administration (NHTSA) to set a uniform, national fuel economy standard. California
Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger has promised to implement the statute and defend
it against outside legal interference. Stay tuned for a chance to write letters
to your auto company – we’ll send addresses and sample letters soon.
Rumor again has it that Ford’s Excursion, the company’s largest sport utility vehicle, will be pulled from the assembly line in September 2005. The Sierra Club dubbed the Excursion the “Ford Valdez,” inviting comparison to the huge Alaskan oil spill by Exxon, Inc. in 1989, because of the vehicle’s poor fuel economy rating and its disastrous effect on the environment. Ford reneged on a previous promise to terminate the Excursion, so we’ll see if it happens.
And now for some cool viewing:
Bay Area filmmaker Dale Djerassi has released his new film “Oil on Ice”
focusing on the consequences of drilling in Arctic National Wildlife Refuge.
The film examines the effects that improved fuel efficiency standards for vehicles
and development of alternative sources of energy will have on this nation’s
oil consumption. Djerassi argues for a new mode of living with and respecting
the Earth rather than damaging the Earth by extracting resources.
For more information, go to http://www.oilonice.org
Win a Prius!
The Center for a New American Dream is running a contest to write the winning
slogan demanding that major automakers increase production of hybrid cars. Winner
takes home a 2005 Toyota Prius! Deadline for submissions is January 24, 2005.
Check it
out.
DBF Gets “Donate Now” Link, Needs Donations To Stay Gassed-Up!
If you appreciate the work we’re doing and would like to help us do more
in 2005, click below to make a tax deductible donation to Don’t Be Fueled!
Mothers For Clean and Safe Vehicles now:
https://secure.groundspring.org/dn/index.php?id=2125&referer=http%3A%2F%2Fwww%2Edontbefueled%2Eorg%2F
2005 Resolution: Burn Less Gas!
Don’t forget to refer all your friends to our beautiful website for news,
humor, cartoons, car-buying advice and fuel-saving tips: http://www.dontbefueled.org/
Also, if you have any friends who would like to receive our infrequent but
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Drive safely!
Betsy Rosenberg • Lynn Fuller • Lauren Klein-Hayes • Eva
Karlen • Janie Friend