Group Talks Ways to Reduce Oil Dependence
With gas prices soaring, an environmental group issues recommondations to reduce oil use.
Environmental advocates in New York City say drivers are spending too much time and money at the pump.
The group Environment New York has issued a new report that outlines recommendations to lead the state away from oil dependence and help reduce gas prices.
"Everyday New York spends billions of dollars to out of state oil companies, to hostile foreign regimes," said the group's Eric Whalen. "It impacts New Yorkers in their pockets, the air that we breath and asthma and heart disease that's caused from air pollution, and of course global warming."
The report proposes transportation and energy policies that Whalen said will reduce the state's annual oil use by over 2-billion gallons by 2030. Recommendations include doubling access to public transportation, increasing electric car use and making 60-mile-per-gallon cars the norm by 2025. According to Whalen, this could translate into good news for the economy.
"I think it means actually creating jobs in America, creating high-tech vehicles that consumers want that cost substantially less in their average fuel costs," said Whalen. "I think it really can lead to a Renaissance for the automobile industry and the United States."
We'll hear more from the Obama Administration on the issue Friday, when it announces new fuel efficiency standards.
