Stereotypes Case

Global warming has been an issue for many years. Although there are many contributing to this issue, vehicles are a major cause to global warming. By driving more efficient vehicles, oil imports can be cut, money can be saved, jobs can be created, and it can help with global warming (Easton, 2008). According to the CAFÉ standards, the technology exists to improve the fuel efficiency standards for new cars and trucks (Easton, 2008).

There are some that will argue that the 1975 Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFÉ) program failed to meet its goals of reducing oil imports and gasoline consumption, endangering human lives, and not helping with the global warming issue (Easton, 2008). Who's right or wrong, or perhaps they are both right.

"The United States spends more than $200,000 per minute on foreign oil that is $13 million per hour" (White, 2004). America burns 8 million barrels of oil every day just to fuel our cars, SUVs, and trucks (White, 2004). America's dependence on oil is a threat to our environment. The new law, Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFÉ) standards, is to regulate the average fuel economy in the vehicles produced by each major automaker (Fairley, 2008).

The first CAFÉ standard for cars, in 1984, requested manufacturers to achieve an average of 27.5 miles per gallon (Fairley, 2008). The second CAFÉ standard requested an average of 22.2 miles per gallon for light trucks such as minivans, sport utility vehicles, and pickups (Fairley, 2008). These standards will be increased such that by 2020, the new cars and light trucks sold each year will deliver a combined fleet average of 35 miles per gallon (Fairley, 2008). "Raising fuel economy by ten miles per gallon nationwide will deliver real benefits" (Fairley, 2008). Some scientists have estimated that it will save 1.1 million barrels of oil per day in 2020 (Fairley, 2008).

That is half of what the United States imports from the Persian Gulf (Fairley, 2008). Translated into money, this equals savings of $30 billion for citizens if gas prices are $2.25/gal. If gas goes to $4 a gallon, the new standards will save $70 billion (Fairley, 2008). Also, it should deliver a reduction in greenhouse gases equivalent to taking 28 million of today's cars and trucks off the road (Fairley, 2008).

Money has always been an issue for centuries now. We are always looking for ways to save money, but always seem to find ways to spend more. With fuel economy standards, billions of dollars can be saved. For instance, fuel economies standards help reduce the amount of gasoline consumers' use in their traveling (McMahon, 2009). By spending less on gasoline, there will be more money to spend on other things. Also, the savings from buying a more fuel-efficient vehicle can offset the added cost of technology in less than a year by using technologies that are already available and manufacturing vehicles that achieve the CAFÉ standards (McMahon, 2009). CAFÉ standards already save consumers money at the gas pump. Because fuel economy for cars doubled between 1975 and the late 1980s, a new car purchaser saves thousands of dollars at the gas pump over the life time of the car (White, 2004).

For example, making the Ford Explorer go from 19 miles per gallon to 34 miles per