Filed under: MPG, Legislation and Policy, USA
Consumer demand for fuel efficient vehicles and a federal mandate to reach 54.5 miles per gallon by 2025 has helped bring back 236,000 badly-needed U.S. auto industry jobs since 2009, says a report issued by DrivingGrowth. A portion of this growth - 66,300 new jobs - occurred in the Midwest in Michigan, Indiana, and Ohio, along with new jobs in 500 facilities in 43 states that manufacture components and technology that contribute to fuel economy improvements. DrivingGrowth is a project backed by the Natural Resources Defense Council, the National Wildlife Federation and the League of Conservation Voters. The numbers don't include the million-plus jobs stabilized by the federally-orchestrated and funded post-bankruptcy bailouts of General Motors and Chrysler.
Creating green jobs in the U.S. amidst the troubled, changing global economy has been a strong message from the Obama administration since 2009, but this year it hasn't been mentioned as often. Still, Mitt Romney is criticizing federal involvement in green jobs.
Fuel efficiency has become a mainstay concern for U.S. car shoppers, whether they are considering crossovers, SUVs or pickups. For July 2012 U.S. light vehicle sales, fuel efficiency and interior roominess were important to the sales leaders, according to analysts. In the DrivingGrowth job report, the environmental benefits of seeing more fuel efficient vehicles hit the roads are not as heavily emphasized as job creation. For consumer groups such as Consumer Federation of America (CFA), monetary savings based on lifecycle ownership costs are appealing to consumers who support the federal mandates. For both DrivingGrowth and CFA, influencing the soon-to-be released final mandates on the 54.5 fuel economy standards seems to be the primary reason for issuing their reports.
Federal fuel economy mandates seem to be the most effective, realistic tactic for stakeholders to come together and agree on a method to reach collective goals. Whether you're talking to automakers, unions, government agencies, consumers or environmental groups - or analyzing light-duty passenger vehicles or medium- to heavy-duty commercial vehicles - reaching corporate average fuel economy goals is the benchmark, and the environmental benefits of reducing greenhouse gas and carbon emissions goes right along with it. Job creation is icing on the cake for a nation going through its deepest economic crisis and transition since the Great Depression.
Continue reading Fuel efficiency bringing back automotive jobs, but there's more to the story
Fuel efficiency bringing back automotive jobs, but there's more to the story originally appeared on AutoblogGreen on Mon, 13 Aug 2012 08:06:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink | Email this | CommentsSource: http://green.autoblog.com/2012/08/13/fuel-efficiency-bringing-back-automotive-jobs-but-theres-more/
No comments:
Post a Comment