Damn, and we were going to buy a Camry hybrid when we move back to the US in a few months.

Thanks for highlighting this. I think it's always important to keep a critical eye, and research everything first, because of how pervasive greenwashing seems to be.

And to those who are going to say "how can you POSSIBLY DRIVE A CAR?" I'd like to point out that we'll be living in New Mexico, in a huge, spread-out city in the desert, where the public transport isn't great, and riding a bike on busy streets is suicidal. Literally.

So we kinda need one. Anyone have any suggestions? We figured that at least we'd be using less fuel.

Hey, I'm working with a coalition to make sure that Toyota (and other lobbyist) are not able to pressure congress into relaxing the 35 mpg fuel economy standard (by 2020) that is currently in the energy bill. We can do our part to persuade Congress to keep the bill as is by signing this petition: www.energybill2007.org. This is a HUGE and important political juncture and it would be awesome if you could help me spread the word. i think we have a chance to make some changes for the better in Congress' current mindset.

It sucks that Toyota is being lame about raising the bar for fuel efficiency. I really think that Toyota should support the bipartisan Senate compromise to adopt the CAFE standard of 35 mpg by 2020.

First of all, they have the technology and engineering capability to reach 35 mpg by 2020. From what I understand, this would save about 1.2 million barrels of oil per day by 2020. Not to mention save Americans nearly $25 billion in gas costs and prevent 200 millions of tons of greenhouse gases from being spewed into the atmosphere.

Really, Toyota should step up to the plate on CAFE. But if they won't do it, we citizens need to push twice as hard for Congress to adopt strong energy bill with meaningful changes for our environment and planet.

Here's a petition you can sign to help make it happen!

Energy Bill 2007

Here the reply from NRDC which explains it better than I did:

Thank you again for taking action along with more than 80,000 other online activists who are appalled at Toyota's shameful stance on improved gas mileage. Obviously you received an email from the car company in which it claims to "share your interest in strengthening automotive fuel economy."

Don't be fooled. Here's the situation

The Senate has already passed a strong bill that would raise the fuel economy standard to 35 mpg by 2020. With your support, we're fighting to get that measure included in a final energy bill that will soon be voted on by both houses of Congress.

But instead of supporting that greenest of measures, Toyota is attempting to derail it by supporting the Hill-Terry bill. The Hill-Terry bill would only require an increase in gas mileage standards to 32 mpg by 2022.

The difference between these two bills may not seem all that significant, but in reality, it's huge. The bill passed by the Senate is more than twice as effective as the Hill-Terry bill, which would waste millions more gallons of gasoline per day and could produce hundreds of millions more tons of global warming pollution.

We're going to keep the pressure on the self-styled "green" automaker until it gets in gear and supports the tough fuel economy measure that has already passed the Senate.

Please take a moment to tell your friends who are tired of corporations that market themselves as environmentally conscious even as they undermine the future of our planet:

http://www.nrdconline.org/ct/l7AEOYE1Yun8/

Hey Tom,




Thanks for the heads up on the NRDC Action Alert - love it.

Let's use the web as much as possible for raising awareness of environmental sustainability.

If you are on Facebook at all, join our Facebook Group on the upcoming Energy Bill:

Energy Bill 2007




Cheers,

Lorna Li
Green 2.0

Toyota is Moving Backward in its environmental record by opposing increases in fuel efficiency. Toyota should support the bipartisan Senate compromise to increase fuel economy standards in the U.S. to 35 miles per gallon by 2020.

• Worldwide, Toyota has worked to cultivate a “green” reputation but Toyota isn’t acting green in Washington, DC where its lobbyists are trying to weaken, delay, or eliminate a bipartisan Senate measure to achieve greater fuel efficiency in the U.S.
• New fuel efficiency standards would save about 1.2 million barrels of oil per day by 2020 (more than half of current U.S. oil imports from Persian Gulf)
• New fuel efficiency standards would save Americans $25 billion in gas costs AND prevent over 200 million tons of global warming pollution from entering the atmosphere each year.
• Since Toyota has the proven technology and engineering capability to reach 35 mpg by 2020, it is a mystery why they would try to defeat this important measure.
• Toyota should match its green rhetoric with real action and support the bipartisan Senate compromise to increase fuel efficiency and that is why we have mounted this event today.
• Toyota shouldn’t say one thing to consumers like us and another to our government.

Stop talking !!
Just don't use and don't buy those cars.
Invest everything : brains and money into making improving public transport,and constructing real clean cars.
Sincerly
Mata

I love reading blogs and opinions from people who readily admit they know nothing about the details of the subject on which they hold strong opinions. If you are going to write a blog attacking a company for not supporting some rule, don't you owe it to readers (and to yourself!) to at least understand that rule?

I'm no Toyota lover, and neither am I a fan of the US CAFE laws, but I sure as hell understand them. And so should the rest of you. If you want an education on the matter, ask someone who knows.

Tony - I think Tom's point is that even knowing "next to nothing" (which is not the same as knowing nothing) about US CAFE laws, he is easily able to spot Toyota's bullshit for what it is.