Nine of the nation's
leading environmental and science-based organizations targeted Toyota today
for the company's opposition to legislation before Congress to set the
first meaningful increase in fuel economy standards in nearly 30 years. As
the producer of the hybrid Prius and other fuel-efficient vehicles, Toyota
has publicly opposed a bipartisan Senate compromise to increase fuel
economy standards to 35 miles per gallon fleet wide by 2020. In response,
the organizations have sent a letter to Toyota North America Chairman and
CEO, Shigeru Hayakawa, asking him to stop the companies lobby efforts to
"weaken, delay, or eliminate" meaningful fuel economy standards.
At the same time, the groups will run a full page ad targeting Toyota
in USA Today and launch a Web site, TruthAboutToyota.com, to highlight the
disconnect between Toyota's public commitment to better technology and
higher fuel economy and its efforts behind the scenes to block this
important environmental legislation.
"Just because Toyota is taking over General Motor's market share does
not mean that Toyota has to take on GM's anti-environmental lobbying
practices," said Brendan Bell, Washington Representative for the Union of
Concerned Scientists.
The new Web site gives owners of fuel-efficient Toyota vehicles the
opportunity to send a letter to Hayakawa expressing their concern with the
company's stance on fuel efficiency. In addition, consumers and Prius
owners in 15 states will hold rallies at Toyota dealerships to raise
questions about the company's opposition to greater fuel economy standards.
"Toyota needs to start living up to its slogan, 'moving forward'
instead of driving us backward," said Philip Clapp, President of the
National Environmental Trust.
In June, the Senate passed a bipartisan compromise to increase the
fleet wide fuel economy of new vehicles to 35 miles per gallon by 2020.
When fully implemented, the Senate bill would reduce U.S. oil consumption
by 1.2 million barrels per day -- more than twice as much as is currently
imported from Iraq. It would also reduce greenhouse gas emissions by more
than 200 million metric tons per year in 2020; the equivalent of taking
over 31 million vehicles off the road every year.
"Being seen as a green automaker has been great for Toyota's sales. The
company changed the game by putting hybrid technology on the road. If
Toyota expects to keep that image, they should stop lobbying against the
strongest fuel economy improvement in over 30 years," said Frances
Beinecke, President of the Natural Resources Defense Council.
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