Carbon Emissions Reduction via Increased Fuel Economy

Introduction Global Climate Change (GCC) is the most pressing problem the world faces today, due to the potentially catastrophic and far-reaching nature of its effects. If the world’s governments do not successfully cut their projected carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions in half by 2056, extremely damaging and irreversible effects will likely result [1, 2]. There are myriad ways to reduce these emissions, and many of them must be undertaken to accomplish the necessary reductions. One of the most readily achievable methods is to increase the average fuel economy of the global automobile fleet from the current 30 miles per gallon (mpg) to 60 mpg by 2056. With U.S. leadership, the gradual increase in global efficiency standards is not only feasible, but will provide ancillary benefits to the U.S. and other nations. In fact, it would address many of the most important national priorities, including job creation, protecting national security, and promoting a cleaner environment.