SEPT. 1, 2020
Thousands of People of Faith and Conscience Call for Toyota, GM and Fiat-Chrysler to Support Clean Car Standards
NEWS RELEASE Contact:
Sept. 1, 2020 Susan Stephenson (510) 595-1783 Email: Susan@InterfaithPowerAndLight.org
(Oakland, CA) – Today, a coalition of faith, consumer, climate, science, and family groups delivered petitions with 260,000+ signatures to Toyota, GM and Fiat-Chrysler executives calling on them to support strong national and state clean car standards, which save families money, protect lung health and cut climate pollution.
Interfaith Power & Light collected signatures from thousands of people of faith and over 400 clergy and released the following statement in response to these automakers supporting a roll back of the nation’s clean car standards:
“Toyota, GM Fiat-Chrysler and several other automakers have decided to side with the oil industry and the Trump administration to put profits over people, and that’s why thousands of faith leaders from all across the country have signed a petition urging the automakers to stand for the values of protecting our air and climate”, said Rev. Susan Hendershot, president of Interfaith Power & Light. “Acting on our core values, it is clear to us that doing away with these safeguards is a grave injustice to communities that are suffering the burden of pollution, and to the most vulnerable who are already feeling the impacts of climate change.”
Consumer Reports research finds that the Trump Administration rollback of national clean car standards will cost consumers $300 billion. Recent polls from the Union of Concerned Scientists confirm that GM and Toyota owners want the automakers to support clean car standards. And, major investors with almost two trillion dollars in managed assets see the rollback as bad for business. The automotive industry is split, with Ford, Honda, Volkswagen, BMW and Volvo choosing to support stronger state clean car standards.
Faith leaders from around the country call on the the leadership at Toyota, GM, and Fiat-Chyrsler to act with sound moral judgment and with justice, putting human health at the forefront of their decision-making processes and abandoning this effort to roll back these life-saving standards.
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