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Cars and Global Warming: Policy Options for Rhode Island to Reduce Global Warming from Pollution from Cars and Light Trucks 2/1/2005 Cars_and_Global_Warming.pdf

Executive Summary

As the new home of RIPIRG's environmental work, Environment Rhode Island can be contacted regarding this report.

Rhode Island could significantly limit its contribution to global warming over the next two decades by implementing two policies to reduce carbon dioxide pollution from cars and light trucks. Global warming poses a serious threat to Rhode Island’s future. Scientists project that average temperatures in Rhode Island could increase by 1° to 10° F over the next century if no action is taken to reduce emissions of global warming gases—potentially leading to coastal flooding, beach erosion, increased air pollution and heat related deaths, and a host of other impacts on Rhode Island’s environment, public health and economy.

Controlling global warming emissions from the transportation sector—and particularly cars and light trucks—is essential to meeting the goals set by the Conference of New England Governors and Eastern Canadian Premiers in 2001 of reducing global warming pollution to 1990 levels by 2010 and to 10 percent below 1990 levels by 2020.

The transportation sector is the largest source of global warming pollution in Rhode Island, responsible for over one third of the state’s emissions. Cars and light trucks—such as pickups, minivans and SUVs—are the most important sources of global warming emissions in the transportation sector, responsible for about twothirds of all transportation sector emissions and about one-quarter of Rhode Island’s total emissions of global warming gases.

A number of public policies can reduce the contribution of cars and light trucks to global warming and help Rhode Island meet its commitments.

Carbon dioxide emissions from cars and light trucks in Rhode Island are likely to increase by approximately 20 percent over 1990 levels by 2020 unless action is taken to reduce emissions.
• The stagnation in federal corporate average fuel economy (CAFE) standards for cars and light trucks, the recent shift toward greater use of less fuel-efficient SUVs, and increasing vehicle travel (to 23 million miles per day) have put Rhode Island on a course toward dramatically increased emissions of carbon dioxide from transportation over the next two decades.

Rhode Island has already taken an important first step to reducing greenhouse gas emissions from cars and trucks by adopting the California Clean Cars Standard.

• The Clean Cars Standard (also known as the “Zero Emission Vehicle” or “ZEV” program)—which has been adopted, or is in the process of being adopted, by California and seven northeastern states – will pave the way for the widespread introduction of clean, advanced technology vehicles (such as hybrid-electric and fuel-cell vehicles) that could result in dramatic, long-term reductions in carbon emissions. In the process, it will lead to light-duty carbon dioxide emission reductions of about 1.2 percent below projected levels by 2020.

Rhode Island can achieve more significant reductions in its carbon dioxide emissions by adopting global warming pollution standards for vehicles.
• California’s forthcoming standards on global warming emissions from automobiles (also known as the “Pavley” standards for their original legislative sponsor, Assemblywoman Fran Pavley) could produce significant reductions in vehicle carbon dioxide emissions. Adoption of a parallel program in Rhode Island taking effect in model year 2009 would reduce carbon dioxide emissions from cars and light trucks by about 12 percent below projected levels by 2020 at a net economic benefit to the state.

Further, the state could reduce emissions sooner and more dramatically by requiring the sale of low-rolling resistance replacement tires.
• Automakers typically equip new cars with low-rolling resistance tires, but replacement tires, which have higher resistance, cause the vehicle to be less efficient, and therefore increase carbon dioxide emissions. Enacting global warming pollution standards for vehicles and requiring that replacement tires have low rolling resistance would reduce carbon dioxide emissions by light-duty vehicles in Rhode Island by 14 percent below projected levels by 2020. Low-rolling resistance tire standards would also save consumers money by reducing fuel costs.

Even with these three programs in place, carbon dioxide emissions from cars and light trucks in 2020 would be just slightly lower than emissions in 2000 because of a large projected increase in vehicle travel. Thus, Rhode Island will likely need to adopt additional policies to reduce emissions from the transportation sector if it wishes to achieve the regional goal of reducing overall global warming emissions to 10 percent below 1990 levels by 2020.

Rhode Island should move quickly to adopt policies that will stabilize, and ultimately reduce, emissions of carbon dioxide from cars and light trucks.
• In 2005, Rhode Island should commit to adopting vehicle global warming emission standards identical to those that are being adopted by the state of California. To ensure the standards take effect in model year 2009, Rhode Island must draft the regulations by the end of this year.
• Requiring the use of low-rolling resistance tires would reduce global warming pollution from all vehicles once replacement tires are installed.
• Rhode Island should adopt the programs recommended by the stakeholder group—such as energy efficiency standards for appliances, new incentives for the purchase of vehicles with lower global warming emissions, “smart growth” policies that reduce vehicle travel, mass transit improvements and other measures—to reduce global warming emissions.