Clean cars, cool fuels 

It’s no secret that the millions of cars and trucks clogging California’s roads and highways are the 800-pound gorilla of global warming and smog pollution.

Automobiles spew more carbon dioxide than any other source of pollution in the Golden State—we rely on petroleum for 96 percent of all vehicle fuel. Automobiles are a leading source of soot and smog-forming pollutants that contribute to over 5,000 deaths in California each year.  

Fortunately, with the right policies, California can cut global warming pollution, achieve cleaner air and be a leader in developing clean technologies.

Driving global warming solutions

Studies show that clean, alternative fuels can cut global warming pollution and our dependence on oil­—if done right. For example, ethanol, if made from cellulose, emits 80 percent less global warming pollution than gasoline.

Similarly, new vehicle technologies, such as plug-in hybrids, electric vehicles and fuel cell vehicles, have the potential to dramatically reduce global warming emissions and cut oil consumption. In fact, electric vehicles emit two thirds less global warming pollution than their gas counterparts.  

However, with “alternative” fuels there is also the risk of taking one step forward but two steps back.  For example, ethanol made from corn can have limited global warming benefits while monopolizing critical agricultural land needed for food production and promoting the use of more pesticides. Even worse, the Bush administration is pushing for federal subsidies to turn coal into a liquid fuel—a process so energy-intensive that it produces twice as much global warming pollution as regular gasoline. 

Solutions rolling forward

Environment California’s vision is to quickly move California away from the conventional gasoline-powered car with new solutions like electric vehicles and renewable fuels. On Jan. 18, Gov. Schwarzenegger took the first step toward this vision by announcing a plan to reduce the “carbon intensity” of California’s fuel supply by at least 10 percent by 2020.

With oil companies and agribusiness now lobbying to weaken environmental protections, Environment California is mobilizing citizens and educating decision-makers about the need to adopt strong policies that cut global warming pollution and protect our air, land and water.  

In the end, given the size of California’s economy and our environmental consciousness, we have an opportunity to bring clean cars and cool fuels not only to our state, but to the rest of the country and the world.