Reply #46: Bush drive to save fuel fails to include cars and biggest SUVs [View All]

[UpInArms]

http://www.guardian.co.uk/usa/story/0,12271,1554939,00.html

The Bush administration yesterday put forward a plan to make the US's burgeoning fleet of pickup trucks, minivans and some sports utility vehicles go further on a gallon of gas in response to the soaring cost of petrol.

But the plan, which would not be implemented until 2008, was condemned by environmental groups because the largest SUVs, such as the Hummer H2, would not be affected. It would also not affect cars.

The average price of a gallon of petrol in the US has risen by 70 cents in the past year to $2.55 a gallon - still significantly less than half the price in Britain. But in a country where ownership of a car, and increasingly of a gas-guzzling SUV, is considered a civil right, the topic is dominating the airwaves, with radio phone-ins inundated with callers complaining about the cost of filling up.

"This is a plan that will save gas and result in less pain at the pump for motorists without sacrificing safety," said Norm Mineta, the transportation secretary, who claimed that the scheme would save 10bn gallons - more than 30m tonnes - of fuel.

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A watchdog group, the Union of Concerned Scientists, said the "minuscule" change in fuel economy would do virtually nothing to reduce the US dependence on oil or address high fuel costs. "The administration's claim of saving 10bn gallons of gasoline with this proposal amounts to less than one month's worth of gasoline saved over 15 years," a spokesman said.

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