Environmental News: Media Center

WASHINGTON (March 7, 2012) – President Obama’s proposals to encourage production of more efficient vehicles, announced today, will help move America down the right road toward breaking the oil industry’s monopoly on our transportation dollars, according to the Natural Resources Defense Council.

The following is a statement from Luke Tonachel, senior vehicles analyst for NRDC:

“We’ve drilled baby, we’ve drilled– more than we have in eight years – and it’s obvious that’s done nothing to reduce gas prices.

“Fortunately the president recognizes that what Americans really need to reduce their pain at the pump is more choices beyond the oil industry’s monopoly on our transportation dollars.

“Cars that get better mileage are already rolling into showrooms now, thanks to new passenger vehicle fuel efficiency standards the Obama administration implemented last year.

“By accelerating deployment of alternative-fuel trucks and making electric vehicles more economical, these new initiatives will expand the benefits to our wallets, to our economy and our environment.”

For more information, see Luke’s blog here: http://switchboard.nrdc.org/blogs/ltonachel/

And to speak to Luke or other NRDC experts on this topic, please contact Suzanne Struglinski at 202-289-2387 or sstruglinski@nrdc.org.