What happened
The Environmental Protection Agency released tailpipe emissions standards Wednesday that will sharply reduce greenhouse gases and other airborne pollutants. The final Clear Cars rule has a slower rollout than standards proposed last year but ends at President Joe Biden's same goal: a 50% cut in vehicle carbon emissions by 2032.
Who said what
"We'll meet my goal" of "half of all new cars and trucks sold in 2030" being zero-emission, then "race forward in the years ahead," Biden said. "The future is electric," but "pace matters" and "these adjusted EV targets — still a stretch goal — should give the market and supply chains a chance to catch up," said Alliance for Automotive Innovation chief John Bozella. "We'll do everything we can to stop the rule," American Petroleum Institute CEO Mike Sommers said.
This commentary
"This is one of the biggest pieces of climate regulation in history," so of course "it's going to have opponents," said Chris Harto at Consumer Reports. This "incremental move" is still "too weak and slow," the Los Angeles Times said in an editorial. "We're in the race of our lifetime against climate change and President Biden is driving way below the speed limit."
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
What next?
The Clean Cars standards start with 2027 models. Oil trade groups and Republican officials said they will sue to overturn the rule, and former President Donald Trump said he will try to reverse it if elected.
-
Tuvalu is being lost to climate change. Other countries will likely follow.Under the Radar Sea level rise is putting islands underwater
-
Massive earthquake sends tsunami across PacificSpeed Read Hundreds of thousands of people in Japan and Hawaii were told to evacuate to higher ground
-
The EPA wants to green-light approval for a twice-banned herbicideUnder the Radar Dicamba has been found to harm ecosystems
-
Spiking whale deaths in San Francisco have marine biologists worriedIn the Spotlight Whale deaths in the city's bay are at their highest levels in 25 years
-
FEMA Urban Search and Rescue chief resignsSpeed Read Ken Pagurek has left the organization, citing 'chaos'
-
Melting glaciers may lead to more volcanic eruptionsUnder the radar We're in for a boom
-
Wildfires destroy historic Grand Canyon lodgeSpeed Read Dozens of structures on the North Rim have succumbed to the Dragon Bravo Fire
-
Search for survivors continues after Texas floodsSpeed Read A total of 82 people are confirmed dead, including 28 children
