Trump Could Reverse All US Emissions Legislation For Cars

Love him or loathe him, Donald Trump has got some strong opinions. Among them is that emissions legislation is hurting American competitiveness, and he could be en route to repealing it all
Trump Could Reverse All US Emissions Legislation For Cars

Donald Trump could repeal the legislation forcing manufacturers to produce ever-cleaner cars, potentially causing thousands of deaths due to increased air pollution.

Cars and trucks collectively account for a fifth of all US emissions and both Democrats and Republicans alike have worked to reduce that through laws forcing car makers to lower tailpipe emissions. The same thing is going on in Europe.

But the Wall Street Journal quotes John Mashburn, a senior policy advisor to Trump, as saying:

“The Trump administration will complete a comprehensive review of all federal regulations. This includes the fuel economy and emissions standards to make sure they are not harming consumers or American workers.”

Trump Could Reverse All US Emissions Legislation For Cars

Trump will not only have the Oval Office, but also the Senate and the House of Representatives, both of which are under Republican control. That makes it much easier for him to pass the laws he wants.

An article on Jalopnik claims that Americans simply don’t want smaller, more efficient cars because fuel prices are low. It says that the law is harming manufacturers and costing jobs because they’re being forced to make fewer cars that people won’t choose anyway, instead of lines upon lines of cheaply-made gas-guzzling pickups.

In short, it’s the easy option to relax laws and let car makers pump out as much pollution as they want.

And yet 5.5 million people die worldwide as a result of air pollution. Most deaths are in developing countries but the effects of the deadly toxins within exhaust gases are the same everywhere.

Air pollution (smog) over Los Angeles
Air pollution (smog) over Los Angeles

Michael Brauer of the University of British Columbia in Canada is quoted by the BBC in an article from February 2016 as saying: “The whole population benefits when air quality improves.

“In the US, we know that for every dollar spent on air pollution improvements, we can get between $4-$30 benefit in terms of reduced health impacts.”

Trump seems to have forgotten that it’s not the 1970s any more. It’s no longer the time when American global manufacturing might went unchallenged. Frankly, I don’t want to go back to the ‘70s: the hairstyles were terrible.

Trump Could Reverse All US Emissions Legislation For Cars

But perhaps dear Donald should reflect on a previous US President before making any rash policy moves. It was John F Kennedy who said in his most famous speech:

“We choose to go to the moon in this decade and do the other things, not because they are easy, but because they are hard; because that goal will serve to organise and measure the best of our energies and skills; because that challenge is one that we are willing to accept, one we are unwilling to postpone, and one which we intend to win.”

Lowering air pollution is hard, and will continue to be hard, but if we’re going to leave this world in a better state than we found it, then JFK’s way has to be our way. If Trump takes the easy route, more people will inevitably die.

Comments

Anonymous

FREE THE JDM LEGENDS!!

11/10/2016 - 17:19 |
39 | 8
Thecrazyman

In reply to by Anonymous (not verified)

Nope, the 25 year law will stay as there’s still safety stuff that bans those cars from being imported. This just means it’ll be easier to make a car comply with restrictions.

11/10/2016 - 18:32 |
7 | 1
Dat Incredible Chadkake

In reply to by Anonymous (not verified)

You live in Greece, why should you care about what happens in the US regarding imports?

11/10/2016 - 18:34 |
26 | 5
Anonymous

In reply to by Anonymous (not verified)

Please!!!!! 🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻

11/11/2016 - 02:40 |
0 | 0
ah00t13

Trump needs to learn some things… I personally am strongly against trump and I believe that even most republicans in the senate and the house will oppose this proposal. It would hurt thousands of people and strangle American cars in foreign markets because of extra emissions requirements in those countries

11/10/2016 - 17:23 |
5 | 4

Interesting point, I hadn’t thought about that…

11/10/2016 - 20:41 |
1 | 0

europe doen buy many us cars and so does asia…

11/10/2016 - 22:08 |
2 | 0
Deadpool (Cam's much sexier twin) (Official Demon Fangirl)

In short, don’t egr delete your daily, don’t straight pipe your daily, don’t vent pcv to atmosphere, and use an O2 sensor to help tune a carb if that’s your daily. Car enthusiasts can care about the environment too.

11/10/2016 - 17:24 |
205 | 8

I’ve got a 63mm straight exhaust on my BMW…. Oops

11/10/2016 - 19:25 |
48 | 6

Yep. Car Enthusiasts (Most Especially Like Me) Do care about the environment.

11/10/2016 - 21:35 |
27 | 2

I apologize to a tree whenever I drive the racecar to work…

11/10/2016 - 22:39 |
60 | 4

But my car has what the plants crave!!! Those evil cats starve the poor plants man.

11/10/2016 - 23:06 |
10 | 4

I will just leave this here

11/10/2016 - 23:22 |
126 | 2
Anonymous

Trump also wants to deregulate coal restrictions, basically making it a free for all

11/10/2016 - 17:26 |
2 | 0
VQ35DEfan97

In reply to by Anonymous (not verified)

Well if it encourages more dumb truck drivers to roll coal and breathe that stuff, I’m for it.

11/11/2016 - 00:47 |
0 | 0
Chewbacca_buddy (McLaren squad)(VW GTI Clubsport)(McLaren 60

I now know why trump got all those votes: they were car guys

11/10/2016 - 17:27 |
60 | 5

Our engines, are gonna be, hyuuuuge

11/11/2016 - 00:36 |
7 | 1
Anonymous

Yes more people well die but , the cars well be less fuel efficant, thats good right

11/10/2016 - 17:28 |
3 | 4
Jared G.

Trump be like: “Make American JDM AF!”

11/10/2016 - 17:29 |
31 | 3
Dragonslayer182 (Yaris Fanboy)

He’s not repealing it all, just some of it…

11/10/2016 - 17:32 |
3 | 1
Angeles

Make the r34 legal and I’ll build the wall

11/10/2016 - 17:38 |
27 | 3
Nissan 420sx

Can’t tell if that’s good or not.. I mean air pollution is a serious topic

11/10/2016 - 17:44 |
7 | 2

He doesn’t believe in global warming so….

11/10/2016 - 20:36 |
4 | 0

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