“Let’s be clear because lives are at stake. Over 100,000 people are dying prematurely from air pollution each year in our country and the numbers have been increasing since 2017,” added Mustafa Santiago Ali, vice president for environmental justice at the National Wildlife Federation and former EPA Senior Advisor for Environmental Justice and Community Revitalization. “Poor air quality not only worsens asthma and other respiratory conditions, but also is linked to cardiac harm, cancer, and premature death. Communities of color and lower income communities are literally dying for a breath of clean air and this rule will pump more deadly pollution into their neighborhoods, resulting in an increase in chronic disease and making our most vulnerable more susceptible to viruses like COVID-19.”

Under the new SAFE rule, analyses show the lower fuel economy standards would result in an additional 1.5 billion metric tons of carbon dioxide emissions by 2040. That is roughly equivalent to the emissions from 68 coal plants operating for five years, according to EDF. ACEEE estimates the rollbacks’ impact will be equivalent to adding nearly 29 million cars to the roads.

“This is a major setback in addressing climate change, and that’s something we can’t afford,” said^[17] ACEEE senior fellow Therese Langer.

Boost for Big Oil

Despite the Trump administration’s claims that the rollbacks benefit American families and consumers, the ultimate beneficiary is the oil industry that profits from higher fuel consumption from less efficient vehicles.

“By hitting the brakes on corporate average fuel economy (CAFE) and greenhouse gas emissions standards, the administration will cause the owner of an average model year 2025 vehicle to fill up the gas tank 62 more times over the life of the vehicle,” ACEEE said in a press release^[18].

According to EDF’s analysis, by 2040 the rollbacks will result in 142 billion more gallons of fuel used, and $244 billion more in consumer spending at the gas pump.

That directly boosts the revenues of the oil companies.