A recent task force on the Puget Sound area of Tacoma-Pierce County in Washington State sent recommendations to the Puget Sound Clean Air Agency about what needed to be done Smog to reduce soot in the air and meet the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) standards. While both industry and diesel vehicles create a significant amount of soot, by far the largest contributor to the situation comes for wood burning stoves and fireplaces which make up more than 53% percent of the total load to the environment in that area.

Since the Northwest has such an abundance of trees, it is natural to think about using them for fuel. Some experts even state that this type of fuel is eco-friendly and since it is renewable is a good fuel source. However, many believe that the impact to the air quality of burning these fuels cannot be reasonably justified.

In 1985, Seattle had a smog problem that was linked to residential burning of wood in stoves and fireplaces that was so severe that the SeaTac airport had to be closed. Good news, since then, was linked to residential wood stoves. Since then, according to Jim Nolan, executive director of the Puget Sound Clean Air Agency, the smoke in the area can been cut by 75% or more.

So, what do you think about this? Please share your thoughts so we can see where our community stands on this issue.

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Because heat is a key ingredient in ozone formation, it is critical that we take action today to curb global warming. UCS research shows that warmer summers will likely produce more bad air-quality days in many parts of the country—especially in urban areas where car- and smokestack-related emissions tend to be higher—making ozone-related health impacts and their associated costs much worse.

Unfortunately, federal emissions-reduction policies continue to stagnate: the Obama administration delayed the release of a revised national ozone standard until at least 2013, and the Environmental Protection Agency also delayed its draft rule for reducing global warming emissions from power plants. Because heat-trapping gases such as carbon dioxide linger in the atmosphere for decades, these delays allow emissions to continue to build, guaranteeing at least some additional increase in temperatures and making future emissions reductions more difficult and costly.

To learn more about the connec­tion between global warming and ozone pollution, and what UCS is doing to help reduce the risks, visit www.ucsusa.org/climateandozonepollution.

Presented in the Union of Concerned Scientists Earthwise Newsletter, Volume 14, Number 1, winter 2011/2012

Push the federal government to keep new vehicle standards free of harmful loopholes.

What’s Happening

In November, the Obama administration proposed new fuel efficiency and auto pol­lution standards for cars and light trucks, formalizing an agreement reached with automakers in July. As Earthwise went to press, UCS expected the new standards (which begin taking effect in 2017) to reach the equivalent of 54.5 miles per gallon by 2025, cutting carbon emissions and boosting new vehicles’ fuel economy substantially.

Improving vehicles’ environmental performance is one of the most important steps we can take to save consumers money at the gas pump, reduce the risks of global warming, and cut America’s oil dependence. The technology exists to­day—in the form of more-efficient engines, smarter transmissions, and better materi­als—to make any new car, truck, or SUV cleaner and more fuel efficient. Automak­ers are putting this technology to work: 39 models in showrooms now—varying in size from compact cars to pickups—already meet 2017 fuel economy targets.

However, the government’s attempts to help automakers comply with the pro­posed standards provide an opportunity for automakers to undermine them. For example, SUVs, pickup trucks, and mini­vans will be held to weaker standards than cars. This provision could easily become a loophole if automakers abuse the system and reclassify cars as trucks.

The Environmental Protection Agency and other regulating agencies are seek­ing public comment on the new standards over the next two months. Decision makers need to hear from consumers like you dur­ing this period, since you have the most to gain—or lose—from the outcome.

What You Can Do

Submit an official comment to the rule-making agencies and urge them to finalize the strongest possible fuel efficiency and auto pollution standards. Send an email via the online UCS Action Network at www.ucsusa.org/action, or mail a letter to:

Environmental Protection Agency

Mailcode 2822T

1200 Pennsylvania Ave. NW

Washington, DC 20460

Attn: Docket no. EPA–HQ–OAR– 2010–0799

Presented in the Union of Concerned Scientists Earthwise Newsletter, Volume 14, Number 1, winter 2011/2012