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AAA Monkeys - "See No
Evil?" – Clean Air Act and the Automobile Club of America Challenge to
Pennsylvania Clean Vehicles Program
March 6th 2006
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Clean Air Council
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In 1990 the US
Federal Government passed the Clean Air Act. Since the state of
Pennsylvania was not in attainment of the standards set, they had to
create a program, to be approved by the federal government, in order
to avoid stiff penalties. Part of this program was the Pennsylvania
Clean Vehicles Program.
The Clean
Vehicles Program helps improve air quality since about one third of
smog is created by exhaust. Reducing smog-forming emissions is much
cheaper and easier than reducing pollution from business and
industry. Additionally, since state programs are stricter than
federal programs they do much more to help air than the federal
standard alone.
It is
increasingly important to pay attention to the quality of the air we
breathe. Over one million Pennsylvanians alone suffer from
respiratory problems such as asthma.
Every year more
children are put on inhalers, and more and more stay on them
throughout adolescence. Respiratory disease is exacerbated by poor
air quality. The quickest way to correct problems with air quality
is to reduce pollution. AAA, however, is pushing to increase it.
A new Flash movie
called “The AAA Monkeys” that rips into the popular automobile club
AAA for its opposition to the Pennsylvania Clean Vehicles Program
was released online today at
www.cleanair.org. The humorous web animation portrays AAA as a
group of mischievous monkeys who “See No Evil” when their antics
burden people with high gasoline costs, limited consumer choice and
dirty air.
“AAA needs to
stop monkeying around with air quality, gas costs and consumer
choice,” said Arthur Stamoulis, Director of Government Affairs for
Clean Air Council, the statewide environmental organization that
released the Flash presentation. “The Pennsylvania Clean Vehicles
Program will reduce air pollution from cars and trucks, while
improving gas mileage and expanding hybrid options available to
consumers. AAA’s opposition to the Clean Vehicles Program is a slap
in the face to Pennsylvanians concerned about poor air quality and
high gasoline prices.”
For the past
several months, AAA’s Mid-Atlantic office has engaged in a lobbying
and media outreach campaign in support of HB 2141, legislation in
the Pennsylvania House that would block implementation of the Clean
Vehicles Program. This legislation has been opposed by Clean Air
Council, the American Lung Association, the Pennsylvania Public
Health Association, the Pennsylvania Nurses Association, the
Pennsylvania PTA, Citizens for Consumer Justice and many others.
“Most AAA members
sign up for the roadside assistance and other benefits. If they
knew that AAA was lobbying against air quality programs, they would
be outraged,” said Stamoulis. “We hope this animation will help
inform AAA members that the auto club is supporting
anti-environmental, anti-consumer legislation in their names.”
Clean Air
Council’s website encourages you to contact AAA and ask them to drop
their opposition to the Clean Vehicles Program. The website also
contains facts correcting the misinformation that AAA has spread
about the policy. This information is all on the website,
www.cleanair.org and the animation can be found at
www.cleanair.org/AAAMonkeys/
By
Kristen Sheaffer
Independent Correspondent
Contact Kristen
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