Helicopter Mom Here for Good Reasons

We all know that there is this saying of how the government controls everything we do, see, and hear…  In some ways that is 100% true, even with gas mileage. Who would have ever thought?  Most of us think the government’s “helicopter mom” persona is ridiculous and always bad, but in this case it turned out, shall I say, awesome?  The guidelines from Obama’s administration have only tried to help both us as people in saving money and the world in saving gas emissions.  These new standards are supposed to lower carbon dioxide emissions from cars by 1/3 in the next 4 years, while lowering the amount of oil barrels used by 1.8 million (“Obama Unveils”).

Making a U-turn on Auto Emissions

When first reading about this it sounded like it was a bad thing, where the industry was trying to increase the gas mileage across the country to add stimulate the economy by buying gas and increasing gas prices.  That’s just my pessimistic, politics oriented brain though.  When you actually start to read the information and the regulations, you understand that is meant to be a good thing to help lower gas emissions.

One of the actions that Obama took when he came to office was to create stricter regulations in the automobile industry regarding gas mileage.  This was allowed by the Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE) regulations, that began in the 1970s.  long time ago, the automobile industry would have hated this and revolted against it, but this time they were right with Obama, whether for selfish reasons or environmental reasons, it helps us all (Vlasic, “Carmakers”).  For the long-term, Obama’s new regulations require an increase from 27 miles per gallon to 54.5 mpg by 2025 (Vlasic, “Carmakers”).  For the short-term the government is hoping for an increase of 30% from 27 mpg, approximately 35.5 mpg on average for cars and light trucks (“Obama Unveils”).  These regulations were put in place for both economic and environmental reasons, to decrease consumption of and expenses on gas while at the same time decreasing the emissions into the air and, overall the negative effect that car usage has on the environment.

To meet these standards, most automobile companies have worked harder on their ‘small’ fuel-efficient and hybrid cars more than other models.  “An electric car is powered by an electric motor instead of a gasoline engine.  The electric motor gets energy from a controller, which regulates the amount of power—based on the driver’s use of an accelerator pedal. The electric car uses energy stored in its rechargeable batteries, which are recharged by common household electricity (“Electric Cars”).  While the electric car runs only on electricity, the hybrid is fueled by gasoline and uses electricity to make it more  efficient (“Electric Cars”).

We have seen electric, fuel-efficient, and hybrid cars for years already, but they keep getting better with the adjustments necessary for the failing environment.  I remember watching 7th heaven when I was in middle school and it having an electric car, something somewhat new back then.  Now you see every other person with that or a hybrid car, hoping to help the environment.  It has become one of the easiest ways to help save the environment without breaking the bank for the average person.  It ends up being a win-win situation because most people actually end up saving money with them.

In reality, much of America’s cars have already been above the standards in Miles Per Gallon.  In 2009, cars averaged 32.6 mpg, a rather large difference to the expected 27 mpg (Vlasic, “Obama Reveals”).  Knowing this, we can see that the industry has already met and exceeded the standards, and will probably keep pace with this.  But as we all know, just because the industry will be able to meet the standard, does not mean, we as consumers will see this.  More likely, we will see the cars that are up there in mileage, around 43 mpg, but not the highest (Vlasic, “Obama Reveals”).  This is because those cars will be too expensive both to manufacture and to buy, so many of the cars on the market will average 43 mpg, respectable in both mileage and most likely, price.  Either way, as these regulations get stricter, emissions will lower and the effect on the earth’s atmosphere will become less negative.

References

“Electric Cars: A Definitive Guide.” Hypbridcars.com. 2012. Web. 5 Feb 2012. < http://www.hybridcars.com/electric-car >

“Obama Unveils Mpg Rule, Gets Broad Support.” MSNBC.com. 19 May 2009. Web. 5 Feb 2012. < http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/30810514/ns/us_news-environment/t/obama-unveils-mpg-rule-gets-broad-support/#.Ty7MUBzyH3U>

Vlasic, Bill. “Carmakers Back Strict New Rules for Gas Mileage.” New York Times. 28 July 2011. Web. 5 Feb 2012. < http://www.nytimes.com/2011/07/29/business/carmakers-back-strict-new-rules-for-gas-mileage.html?pagewanted=all >

Vlasic, Bill. “Obama Reveals Details of Gas Mileage Rules.” New York Times. 29 July 2011. Web. 5 Feb 2012. < http://www.nytimes.com/2011/07/30/business/energy-environment/obama-reveals-details-of-gas-mileage-rules.html >