To the Editor:
Your article on Rhode Island's skyrocketing gas prices ("R.I. still plugged in to renewable energy," April 19) underscores the need to build cars and trucks that guzzle less gas. In the coming months, President Obama has an opportunity to break our oil dependence, save Rhode Islanders money at the gas pump and cut dangerous emissions by setting strong new fuel efficiency and global warming pollution standards for cars and trucks.
Transportation accounts for more than half of the oil Americans use, so making more efficient cars and trucks is the easiest way to save Rhode Islanders money on gas while reducing our oil dependence. Requiring new cars and light trucks to meet a 60 mile-per-gallon standard by 2025 would save Rhode Islanders $335 million at the pump while cutting Rhode Island's oil use by 140 million gallons in 2030.
The Obama Administration confirms scientific analysis that we can cost-effectively make cars that meet a 60 mile-per-gallon standard the norm and not the exception. Obama should seize this opportunity to put American ingenuity to work by calling for cars and light trucks to meet a 60 mile-per-gallon standard by 2025. Rhode Islanders cannot afford for him not to.
Sylvia Bartell
Environment Rhode Island volunteer
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