Today, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced finalized emissions standards for light-duty vehicles model year 2027 through 2032. These safeguards are a historic step forward in cleaning up our nation’s transportation sector–which is responsible for approximately 45% of harmful smog-forming NOx emissions in the U.S.–and defending our communities from dangerous tailpipe pollution that chokes our air and harms public health.
On behalf of the more than 25,000 pro-life Christians who supported the proposal, the Evangelical Environmental Network celebrates this critical cleaner cars standard that prioritizes the health of our children and those on the frontlines of pollution, spurs economic growth and family-sustaining careers, and creates cost savings for families. Medical research links traffic pollution to asthma, lung cancer, dementia, preterm birth, and a raft of other health harms. The finalized cleaner cars standard is an important step toward zero-pollution vehicles, which according to the American Lung Association, carry the promise of eventually preventing an estimated 89,000 premature deaths, 2.2 million asthma attacks, and 10.7 million lost work days.
In response to these finalized safeguards, President & CEO of the Evangelical Environmental Network The Rev. Dr. Jessica Moerman released the following statement:
“Scripture speaks of the ‘breath of life.’ Gas-powered cars, however, bring harmful fumes right to our doorsteps, and it is the most vulnerable–including our children and neighbors living in heavy traffic corridors–who pay the steepest price. Being pregnant while living next to a traffic-filled twelve-lane highway, this is a cost I personally know and that my son has paid for with his health. New innovations in vehicle technology, however, mean we can have the benefits of mobility without the harms of traffic pollution. The Cleaner Cars standard accelerates the pace for zero-pollution cars to hit our roads sooner rather than later and deliver clean air and a healthy future for our children.”
