Ed. Note: Cross-posted from the Fastlane Blog.
The transportation sector accounts for two-thirds of of US oil use and contributes about one-third of our greenhouse gas emissions. In other words, transportation professionals have a special obligation to take action.
The good news is that transportation's pressure on these twin problems creates an obvious opportunity for our sector to help work toward solutions. And, with President Obama's leadership on energy independence and climate change, the Department of Transportation has been doing precisely that.
Here are a few of DOT's efforts toward greater sustainability and a cleaner environment that you may have heard about last year:
- Raising fuel-economy standards for passenger cars and light trucks to 35.5 mpg by 2016
- Treating biking and walking as valid and valued elements of our transportation network
- Beginning to build a high speed passenger rail system
Fonte: White House