Support greener vehicle designs

Using an average of 12,000 miles driven per passenger vehicle, at an average of 25.5 miles per gallon, 8320 pounds of CO2 are released into the air, per vehicle, per year. That is four tons of new greenhouse gas in the atmosphere each year for every car on the road.

Environmentalists say one thing we can do now to reduce CO2 levels is to improve fuel economy of all classes of vehicles. However, U.S. fuel economy standards have remained relatively flat, around 27.5 miles per gallon for passenger cars, over the last 15 years, and because of the increased popularity of trucks and SUVs, the average fuel economy of all new vehicles in the United States has sunk to the lowest level since 1980.

Tesla wants to improve fuel economy and reduce CO2 emissions; Elio Motors wants to improve fuel economy and reduce CO2 emissions. The greatest promise for solving environmental concerns over pollution and CO2, rests with hydrogen fuel cells, where water vapor is the only byproduct.

But hydrogen has a ways to go to become a viable option as a fuel for cars.

Homegrown energy resources, and homegrown manufacturing jobs related to high miles-per-gallon options, combine to cut into foreign oil imports by significantly reducing the use of oil and gas.

Heavily subsidized fossil fuels made sense 100 years ago when we needed to quickly build our energy infrastructure, but today, renewable energy is the world's future. This is where Americans need to get involved.

What kind of world will our children's children inherit, if we let the Federal government and big oil dictate what fuels we use and what vehicles we should purchase?

The Department of Energy's Advanced Technology Vehicles Manufacturing Loan Program is intended to support domestic development of advanced technology vehicles and components, but to date those loans have been granted to major car manufacturers. Why not support companies such as Elio Motors, which is developing an autocycle that would get 84 miles per gallon and have a range of about 700 miles for a sticker price around $6,800? Elio's design is safe and would drastically cut CO2 emissions. Which do you think would have a better chance to impact our economy, environment and reduce oil imports?

' Paul Forbes is a photographer, blogger and member of The Gazette Writers Circle. Comments: www.LifeInIA.com