On June 19, Gov. John Hickenlooper had the foresight to issue an executive order to develop a Colorado low-emission vehicle (LEV) program and propose it to the state Air Quality Control Commission (AQCC) before year’s end.
The transportation sector, made up largely of the light duty vehicles many of us drive each day, recently surpassed the energy sector as the largest emitter of carbon pollution in the U.S. It also emits the lion’s share of pollutants that form ozone, which is dangerous to human health. And the federal government recently announced its intent to flat-line vehicle fuel efficiency and emissions standards.
I encourage everyone to support our state’s efforts to remain ahead of the curve on fuel savings and air pollution reduction. LEVs, including electric vehicles (EVs), today reduce carbon and other air pollution by 30 to 40 percent compared to gasoline-fueled cars, even taking into account the amount of pollution produced by the generation of Colorado’s electricity. The cost of fueling an EV is 45 percent less than what it costs to fuel even an efficient gasoline-powered car.
Write a public comment to the Air Quality Control Commission to express your support for LEV standards. Also write to our state Sen. Don Coram, who has repeatedly taken actions to reduce the availability and practicality of LEVs for rural Coloradans. We deserve better access to economical LEVs and the charging systems which make them more practical in our rural communities.
Sarah Kelly
Durango
