Our View: Cooperation on emissions rules was long overdue

It is fitting that President Barack Obama was flanked by officials from California and Michigan in announcing new nationwide rules for fuel mileage and auto emissions. Those two states have driven the battle for two decades, with California pushing for better-mileage, cleaner-running cars, and Michigan clinging to the status quo.

So what if Dave McCurdy, president of the Alliance of Auto Manufacturers, dabbled in historical revisionism in stating that a national standard is what the industry has long sought? It only wanted that when California and other states, including Washington, persisted in the face of federal gridlock. Facing the prospect of producing two sets of automobiles – cleaner versions for the insistent states and dirtier ones for the rest – the auto industry finally acquiesced.

It helped that U.S. Rep. John Dingell, D-Mich., lost the chairmanship of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, and that the industry has “preserved” itself to the brink of bankruptcy by ignoring the changing realities of fuel supplies and climate change. Toss in government bailouts, and the clout of automakers is running on fumes.

The new rules may turn out to be a lifeline for the industry because of Americans’ increased desire to save the planet and big bucks at the pump. It’s been 19 years since regulations were significantly changed. Congress adopted increased fuel mileage standards in 2007, but the Bush administration never got around to writing the rules.

The Obama rules will require automakers to produce fleets that are 40 percent cleaner and more efficient in seven years, at which time the fleet average for fuel economy will be 35.5 miles per gallon. To meet the goal, automakers will have to scale back their large vehicle offerings. Japanese automakers also face significant retooling.

The announcement represents the single largest action the federal government has taken in response to global warming. In the past, the battles were mostly fixated on fuel efficiency, with lower emissions being a byproduct of those changes. Now climate change is sharing the stage, with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency joining the U.S. Transportation Department in writing the rules.

While this is a bold change of policies, it only applies to new cars. Older ones will remain for years to come. Congress should also consider incentives to move people into more efficient vehicles. An increase in the federal gasoline tax would help discourage the driving of older cars and provide incentives for conservation and the development of vehicles powered by alternative sources.

It’s a shame such changes weren’t made 20 years ago, but the good news is that opposition can only be seen in the rearview mirror.