Clean Cars for Washington DC
Washington DC’s Dirty Vehicles
Every year cars, trucks and SUVs spew thousands of tons of pollution into our air, harming our health and contributing to the growing crisis of global warming. As the car companies profit, we pay the price. It’s time for the District of Columbia to pass The Clean Cars Bill!
BREAKING NEWS: DC Clean Cars bill introduced in the D.C. Council! Click here for our press release>>
On Thursday, February 8, the DC Clean Cars bill (B17-0099) was introduced by At-large Council member Phil Mendelson, Ward 8 council member Tommy Wells and Ward 3 council member Mary Cheh. The Clean Cars bill places more stringent regulations on automobile emissions that contribute to global warming and human health problems.TAKE ACTION
WE NEED YOUR HELP to pass the DC Clean Cars Bill!
- Call your legislator -- Find your legislator here: http://www.dccouncil.washington.dc.us or call (202) 724-8000. Make sure your representative knows you want DC to fight global warming and improve public health.
- Lobby Mayor Fenty -- Call (202) 727-2980 and let your mayor know that you want cleaner cars in DC.
Learn More -- Download a clean cars factsheet
--BACKGROUND--
Harming Your Health, Putting Children at Risk
Pollution from mobile sources (cars, trucks, vans, etc) is the leading cause of ozone and smog in the District of Columbia, dangerous compounds that cause respiratory illness and childhood asthma. According to the Asthma and Allergy Foundation, one in ten adults and children suffer from asthma in DC. The American Lung Association has rated Washington, DC as one of the top five most challenging places for people with asthma to live, particularly in the summer months.
A typical summer in DC sends 2,400 people with respiratory related diseases to the hospital and causes 130,000 asthma attacks. The American Lung Association has rated DC’s air quality as an “F.”
Pollution related to transportation (including cars and SUVs) can account for up to 70 percent of pollution during poor air quality days in the summer. While some pollution is obvious, ozone and other dangerous pollutants float unseen. The DC metro area is in violation of Clean Air Act standards for ozone and other pollutants, putting residents at higher risk for asthma, respiratory illness, and code-red smog days in the summer.
Environmental Disasters and Global Warming
Carbon dioxide from vehicles contributes to the growing crisis of global warming. The DC metro area can expect up to a 12 degree temperature increase in the next 100 years, leading to heat waves, more intense hurricanes, and up three feet of sea level rise that increases flooding in rivers such as the Potomac River. The warning signs are already here: the ten hottest years on record have occurred since 1980, and many are drawing a connection between this warming and the recent increase in severe hurricanes.
As greenhouse gases increase in the atmosphere, temperatures will rise in DC. As temperatures increase, air pollutants become more prevalent, and public health can become negatively impacted. A Harvard Medical School study has suggested that climate change could increase pollen production and exacerbate allergies and asthma. Two recent reports by the National Research Council of the National Academies have linked global warming to increased ozone levels. Studies have suggested that many of the deaths (up to 20-50 percent) that occurred in the 2003 heat waves in Europe could be directly attributed to increased ozone and particulate levels that occurred during the heat waves.
The Solution: The DC Clean Car Bill
The DC Clean Car Bill will help to solve the serious problem of mobile source pollution. It heightens the tailpipe emissions standards on new cars registered in the District of Columbia above federal standards (to meet strict California standards). The Clean Cars bill will also ensure that DC gets all new hybrids and zero emission cars before any other state without heightened standards. A growing coalition of health, faith and environmental groups, as well as local and state elected officials are joining forces to curb pollution from vehicles and address serious threat to public health.
Take Action!
