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Statement on Fuel Economy

STATEMENT OF MARK X. JACOBS
on behalf of COEJL
THE COALITION ON THE ENVIRONMENT AND JEWISH LIFE

FISCAL YEAR 2001 HEARING
SUBCOMMITTEE ON TRANSPORTATION AND RELATED AGENCIES
COMMITTEE ON APPROPRIATIONS
UNITED STATES HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

FEBRUARY 10, 2000 - I am Mark Jacobs, director of the Coalition on the Environment and Jewish Life-a coalition of 27 national Jewish organizations spanning the broad spectrum of American Jewish life, including Conservative, Orthodox, and Reform congregational and rabbinical bodies. Thank you for the opportunity to present to you the views of the organized Jewish community on transportation policy.

A broad spectrum of the religious community of the United States is deeply concerned about protecting creation, both human and nonhuman alike. Each of our communities has engaged these issues out of deep religious conviction and concern about our fundamental responsibilities to each other, to our Creator, and to creation.

For 25 years, the organized Jewish community has advocated federal policies to reduce U.S. consumption of fossil fuels. We are therefore deeply troubled by the rider to the Transportation Appropriations bill that since 1995 has prevented the Department of Transportation from considering higher CAFE standards, which have not been revised since the Carter Administration. In 1999, fuel economy was at its lowest point since 1980, and fuel consumption was at its highest. We believe the time has long since come to raise CAFE standards for all vehicles, and to close the loop-hole that holds sport utility vehicles and mini-vans to significantly lower standards than cars.

I am here today not as a technical expert or as a scientist, but as the representative of a tradition and a community which believe that issues such as CAFE standards are at their heart about our most basic obligations, the biblical imperatives to choose life and pursue justice.

The organized Jewish community has consistently supported federal policies and programs to reduce U.S. consumption of fossil fuels based upon both our ancient values and contemporary policy principles.

First, the prevention of harm and the saving of lives. The Bible instructs us to cautiously and prudently err in favor of protecting human life and health--a value that supersedes any but devotion to God. CAFE standards can save lives. The EPA estimates that with our present CAFE standards, 500,000 fewer tons of carcinogenic hydrocarbons are emitted into the air, each year, than would have been emitted had the standards not existed.¹ This is a result of producing and transporting less fuel. In addition, requiring light trucks and so-called "sport utility vehicles" to meet the same standards as conventional cars would make SUVs lighter and therefore less dangerous in crashes with cars. Importantly, the rate of traffic fatalities decreased by 50 percent over the same time that fuel economy doubled under the existing standards. There is no basis to the argument that increasing CAFE standards will increase fatalities on our roads.

Second, our responsibility to future generations. Jewish tradition teaches that humankind has a solemn obligation to future generations to live within the ecological limits of the earth. Today, there is a world-wide scientific consensus that fossil fuel emissions are significantly contributing to already measurable global warming. Global warming poses grave threats to future generations-including more frequent and severe storms, decreasing agricultural productivity, and even the failure of entire ecosystems.

U.S. greenhouse gas emissions, already at least a quarter of the global total, are rising steadily, despite existing U.S. commitments to significantly reduce such emissions. Transportation is the fastest growing source of U.S. greenhouse gas emissions. If we want other nations, particularly developing nations, to reduce their own emissions, we, with the highest per capita emissions of any big nation in the world, must demonstrate leadership. Our action, or inaction, will to a significant extent determine the action or inaction of developing nations.

Some have said that we should not take measures to address global warming before we are certain that harm will befall humankind. There are many threats to human life that are neither certain nor imminent, and climate change falls into this category. The Bible provides some instruction for such a case. Deuteronomy 22:8 tells us that, "When you build a new house, you shall make a parapet [a fence] for your roof, so that you do not bring blood-guilt on your house if anyone should fall from it." Rabbi Moses Maimonides, perhaps the greatest Jewish sage, taught that we must take action to protect others from any object of potential danger, by which it is likely that a person could be fatally injured, including building a fence on an unprotected roof. In the Mishneh Torah, his great commentary on the Bible, he wrote that a person (not just the owner) must remove a possible danger that could cause fatal harm to another, even, in the case of the parapet, when the danger is not imminent or certain. So too with climate change, we must take action to prevent possible danger. It is simply wrong for us to live today in a manner that may well endanger future generations.

Third, stewardship. The Jewish tradition teaches that "the Earth is the Eternal's: (Psalm 24) and that the human beings were "placed in the Garden of Eden to till it and to tend it" (Genesis 2:15). Our unique place in the natural order as human beings enables us to transform the natural world in pursuit of human development. However, we are obligated to safeguard ecological systems so that the great diversity of life can thrive. Our responsibilities as stewards of God's creation require us to secure a livelihood and build an economy that preserves, rather than degrades, the integrity of creation. Clearly, our heavy reliance on fossil fuels which foul the air, acidify rain, alter the climate, and spoil waterways and coastlines is not in keeping with our responsibility as stewards. Only with cleaner vehicles and cleaner sources of energy can we fulfill this responsibility.

Fourth, peace, stability, and security through energy independence. We believe that U.S. policies should promote peace, security, and stability in the U.S. and around the world. In order to protect American economic independence and avoid military conflict, the U.S. should adopt policies which wean the U.S. economy from its reliance on imported fossil fuels. Approximately half of the oil we use fuels our cars,- and that is the same amount of oil we import. Dependence on foreign oil can distort our nation's foreign policy objectives. Oil profits have been used to prop up a number of regimes whose values and interests have been inimical to our own and dependence on oil has provided Middle East nations with the lever to manipulate the foreign policy of many nations on issues in the Mideast. Reduce our dependence on foreign oil, share our technological innovations to help reduce the dependence of other oil-importing nations as well, and we help ensure the policy autonomy of nations across the globe.

It is these core values, we believe, that must inform your debate about our nation's energy and transportation policies.

For 25 years, the organized American Jewish community has, based on these principles, advocated action to reduce our nation's reliance on fossil fuels through fuel efficiency, energy conservation, and the development of environmentally sound, non-nuclear alternative energy and transportation technologies. We advocated investment to accelerate the development of new technologies when they were largely underdeveloped. We urged action to reduce fossil fuel use before climate change was confirmed. We supported the development of public transit before many Americans spent hours each day in traffic.

Despite documented dangers and known risks, as well as decades of advocacy by a wide range of public interest groups, pressure from industrial interests and consequent Congressional inaction has prevented progress on this agenda. This is particularly true with respect to increasing CAFE standards. As I observed earlier, the average fuel economy of all new passenger vehicles in 1999 was at its lowest point since 1980, while fuel consumption was at its highest.

We have failed to make progress even though we already have the technological capacity to dramatically increase vehicle fuel economy through both conventional and alternative technologies. Indeed, American vehicle manufacturers are significantly behind Japanese competitors in bringing new auto technologies to market-and are in danger of losing market share as they did in the 1970's.

Raising CAFE standards is incontrovertibly possible for us to do as a nation, and we know it would help to protect millions of people. It is unconscionable not to take action. We cannot become so consumed with short-term interests so as to ignore long-term consequences. Businesses generally, and auto companies, particularly, will benefit in the long term. Even forward looking oil companies realize that the time has come to advocate a more energy efficient economy.

In order to fulfill our obligations to future generations, to creation, and to the Creator-and, in order to protect our common self-interest and security, we must raise CAFE standards for all vehicles, including sport utility vehicles, mini-vans, and pick-up trucks. It is imperative that Congress allow the Department of Transportation to study the feasibility and practicability of raising CAFE standards.

Yet, we must go much further. Raising CAFE standards is just one of many actions that must be taken. The organized Jewish community supports Congressional action to promote the rapid adoption of clean and renewable energy sources and technologies, including solar, wind, fuel cell, and natural gas, and the phasing out of reliance on fossil fuel technologies through tax incentives. We also support adjustments to the tax code-including an increase in gasoline taxes-to discourage the use of fossil fuels and promote the use of clean alternatives. It is also in our nation's interest to actively promote the transfer of these technologies to developing nations so that they can develop in the most environmentally progressive manner that technology allows.

We stand at the beginning of a new century. During the 20th century, we experienced repeated global instability, and even war, because of our own and other nation's dependence upon imported oil. Looking toward the 21st century, the vast majority of scientists and policy experts agree that if dramatic action is not taken soon, human well-being and global geo-political stability in the 21st century may well be gravely affected by global climate change, in addition to a continuation of the pollution and instability we have already endured. Furthermore, many economists believe that aggressive development of environmentally friendly technologies and products will create U.S. jobs, enhance U.S. competitiveness in the global economy, and demonstrate U.S. leadership toward a sustainable energy future for the entire planet. We have the opportunity to look forward to a promising future, where energy is abundant, inexpensive, and clean. Let us resolve to embrace and build that future.

We have a solemn obligation to do whatever we can within reason both to prevent harm to current and future generations and to preserve the integrity of the creation with which we have been entrusted. Not to do so when we have the technological capacity-as we do in the case of non-fossil fuel energy and transportation technologies-is an unforgivable abdication of our responsibility and an affront to our Creator.

There is no downside to increasing CAFE standards and transitioning to a clean energy economy. Only short-sighted monied interests prevent common-sense action.

We stand before choices that will affect generations to come-biblical choices, between life and death, between blessing and curse. Shall energy be a safe, clean, sustainable blessing? Or shall our consumption of energy be a curse, causing harm, and even death, to people and other creatures far into the future?

On behalf of the Jewish community, I urge you to choose life. Choose the blessing of a clean, safe, and prosperous economy run with sustainable, efficient, domestically-produced technologies and energy sources.

Thank you for this opportunity to share our views.

¹ Oakridge National Lab Report 6715, "Motor Vehicle Fuel Economy, the Forgotten HC Control Strategy?" by Mark Deluchi, Quanlu Wang, and David L. Greene (June 1992).