28 | August | 2012 | Be a Seed for Change

Union of Concerned Scientists

Big Win for Clean Cars

www.ucsusa.org

This is a historic week for U.S. consumers and for the future of our nation’s costly oil use. The Obama administration just finalized fuel economy and global warming emissions standards for cars and light trucks sold in model years 2017-2025, which will roughly double the fuel efficiency of these vehicles.

The standards will save drivers of a new 2025 vehicle nearly $8,000 over its lifetime, compared to driving a typical vehicle on the road today. In addition, the standards will reduce global warming emissions by as much as 270 million metric tons in 2030—the equivalent of shutting down 65 coal-fired power plants for one year.

These standards represent the biggest single step our country can take to reduce oil use, cutting consumption by 1.5 million barrels a day in 2030 and putting us on the path towards halving our projected oil use over the next 20 years.

Much work remains to get to this ambitious goal, and we will no doubt have to protect this hard-fought victory. But today we celebrate, and say thank you.

Thank you for being a part of the UCS community that contacted the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Department of Transportation (DOT), and White House more than 75,000 times to support strong clean car standards throughout the last two years. Thank you for supporting and defending these standards at public hearings, in local newspapers, and in your communities. We would not be celebrating this victory without you.

Now we need your help in delivering one last thank you: Tell the EPA and DOT how much you appreciate the finalization of these standards.

Send a Thank You Today! www.ucsusa.org

Sincerely,

Rachel Cohen
National Field Organizer
UCS Clean Vehicles Program

A Message from the Charlotte in 2012 Convention Host Committee - Visit CharlotteIn2012.com for more info.

CarolinaFest is a free family-friendly Labor Day celebration that will occur in Uptown Charlotte and will feature interactive expositions, family oriented-activities, live music, speakers, and history in the making. The event will be held on Tryon Street in the heart of convention facilities and serve as the kick-off to the 2012 Democratic National Convention.

CarolinaFest will feature two stages with live performances and speakers. The Main Stage will be located at the intersection of Trade and Tryon Streets in Uptown Charlotte and the “Carolina Stage” will be located at the intersection of Levine Avenue of the Arts and Tryon Street. Jeff Bridges and the Abiders, Janelle Monáe, and James Taylor were recently announced as Main Stage entertainment.

In a continued effort to make the 2012 Democratic National Convention the most open and accessible convention in history, in partnership with the Democratic National Convention Committee (DNCC) and with the generous support of AT&T, the Charlotte in 2012 Host Committee is excited to present the most technologically advanced way to be a part of a Convention through the release of the official convention mobile app for smartphones and tablets.

Called “DNC 2012,” the mobile app is part of both the Charlotte in 2012 Host Committee and the DNCC’s broad digital media efforts to make it possible for people to participate in this historic event both in person and virtually. At the touch of a finger, users can watch the convention via live-stream footage as well as navigate through Charlotte and convention venues via an interactive map. The app is available now for iOS and Android devices.

Catalyzed by the historic 2012 Democratic National Convention, the Charlotte community has undertaken significant efforts to show rather than just tell the world how we come together and problem solve. As a result, for more than a year, we have been working hard to create an enduring legacy of across four key areas: reducing childhood obesity, lifting the ambitions of young people by engaging them in putting the convention together, making our city more sustainable than any other convention city and promoting inclusive business practices. By the time the convention happens, we want you to see what we’ve done, not what we promise to do. Volunteers, partner organizations and supporters are working hard every day and showing that we make it possible to shape our future here in Charlotte and North Carolina. Learn more >>>

Learn more about Charlotte!

As people from all over the country funnel into Charlotte for the Democratic National Convention, it’s important we introduce them to our city. We decided to do this in two fun, yet informative ways:

Exploring Charlotte: Our Exploring Charlotte Series is a set of blog posts written by our outstanding high school student interns detailing the city they live in and letting readers know what to experience and where to eat and shop while in town.The blog posts also detail the history of each neighborhood, so you can not only see what the neighbors have to offer, but also how these communities are part of the American fabric as we gather to celebrate during the 2012 Democratic National Convention.

Read more about Historic South End, NoDa, Trade & Tryon and Plaza-Midwood.

Hey Intern: The “Hey Intern” series is a set of blog posts/videos designed with a simple format: directing our interns to give our visitors a peek at what the Queen City has to offer. So far, they’ve been on the Carolina Thread Trail, The Green, NASCAR Hall of Fame and Discovery Place. They even made a cat video! We plan to feature several more places before and during the convention!