Posted on 03/11/2004 1:03:17 PM PST by NewHampshireDuo
A coalition of Maine religious leaders today will argue that gasoline mileage is a moral issue and urge state government to convert more of its primary fleet of 1,372 cars and trucks to fuel-efficient and alternative-fuel vehicles.
At a news conference in Augusta, the Maine Council of Churches will make the connection between man-made pollution and global climate change, and will challenge state government to lead by example and help reduce its impact. Expanding on a national 2002 campaign against sport utility vehicles called "What Would Jesus Drive?" the Maine group is posing this question: "What should the governor and government drive?"
The challenge represents another example in Maine of a growing, national convergence of religion and environmental awareness. Increasingly, religious leaders are making a link between issues such as air pollution, global warming and preserving the world that faith says was created by God. Citing passages from the Bible and the Koran, they are encouraging consumers, businesses and government agencies to pay a little more for energy to help the earth.
"It's really about projecting a vision and some ideas," said Anne D. Burt, who directs the council's environmental justice program.
The Maine Council of Churches is an interfaith advocacy group based in Portland. The government fleet campaign is being rolled out or is under way in 10 other states.
These efforts come while the war in Iraq, rising gasoline prices and election-year politics have raised public interest in the connections between energy, the environment and government. Last month's accident, in which Gov. John Baldacci escaped serious injury after his Chevrolet Suburban SUV hit ice and crashed on Interstate 95, could also insert questions of safety versus symbolism into any discussion in Maine.
Maine state government already has programs to phase out gas-guzzling cars and promote alternative fuels. In addition, Baldacci is expected to announce new measures next week to cut the state's use of gasoline.
But the Maine Council of Churches wants the state to do more. Specifically, it's promoting a more aggressive plan to replace 30 percent of the fleet with hybrid vehicles, which use a combined gasoline-electric engine to achieve high gas mileage and low emissions. Consultants for the council figure the state could save 44,998 gallons of gasoline this year and more than 2.2 million in 2013.
But these gasoline savings, the council acknowledges, wouldn't be cost effective for years and would require the state to spend an extra $300,000 to speed up the replacement of its fleet. During a period when Maine is wrestling with a budget shortfall, Burt acknowledged that this recommendation may be more of a goal than a practical game plan.
That's generally how the report is being interpreted by Beth Nagusky, the state's director of energy independence.
While supporting the council's overall message that state government can lead by example, Nagusky said the substantial cost difference between small hybrid sedans and conventional small cars, coupled with the current unavailability of larger hybrids, makes the 30 percent goal impractical for now.
"We think it's an optimistic projection of how much of the state fleet can be hybrids," she said.
This isn't the first energy-related challenge from the Maine Council of Churches.
Last year, a council-affiliated group launched a campaign to persuade residents to buy "green" electricity from renewable sources. Maine Interfaith Power & Light has signed up more than 1,200 Maine homes and businesses willing to pay slightly higher bills each month to get their electricity from wood-fired power plants and hydro stations. The idea is to reduce dependence on oil and coal-fired power plants that create more pollution.
The current campaign to convert government fleets is in play in 10 other states. Last September, for instance, an interfaith group in Oregon presented a plan to the governor that outlined how converting to fuel-efficient vehicles in that state would save more than $2 million, burn 2.9 million fewer gallons of gasoline and eliminate pollution over the next decade.
Here in Maine, the campaign is aimed at the state's central fleet, the 1,372 cars and trucks used by agencies to move goods and people.
A key recommendation is to replace 30 percent of the fleet with hybrids, which would cost $300,000 more than current replacement plans. The council's consultant also estimated it would take more than 10 years for the extra spending to pay for itself through gasoline savings. It also noted the state keeps vehicles for 100,000 miles, making a rapid conversion uneconomic.
Nagusky and Dwain McKenney, the central fleet's manager, further clarified the economics before today's news conference. They said only 120 vehicles, or 9 percent of the fleet, are compact sedans. While larger hybrids are near production, the only three vehicles available today are compacts - the Honda Civic and Insight, and the Toyota Prius.
State vehicles are bought through a bidding process. A Honda Civic hybrid costs around $18,000 and can get around 40 miles per gallon. By comparison, a Dodge Neon costs $10,243 and gets around 30 miles per gallon. McKenney calculated that the Honda Civic hybrid would cost $1,375 more per year, due mostly to a initial purchase price $7,757 higher than the Neon. He figured gasoline prices would have to rise above $5 a gallon for the hybrids to make economic sense, based on assumptions that include estimated resale value, gasoline mileage and 100,000 miles of use.
Despite the economics, the state has been investing in hybrid vehicles. It currently has 18 and has ordered 15 more. Among the orders are three full-size hybrid trucks - a GMC Sierra - which is expected to hit the market this year. The trucks would be used by wardens and wildlife biologists.
Beyond hybrid vehicles, the council's report makes other recommendations. They include buying the most efficient vehicles for use in university and community college fleets, to educate young people, and increasing the use of biodiesel fuel - a blend of petroleum diesel and vegetable-based oil. The report noted that the Maine Department of Transportation is experimenting with biodiesel in its trucks.
While the council is pushing a high-profile campaign, the state has been preparing strategies to reduce fuel consumption and air pollution that aren't as visible to the public. Next week, Baldacci is expected to sign an executive order on transportation that will, among other things, increase state workers' use of car pools, videoconferencing and tele- commuting.
Perhaps the most visible representation of the state, however, is Baldacci himself and his choice of transportation.
Last month's SUV crash touched off debate over the safety of large sport utility vehicles and the symbolism of Maine's governor riding in a truck that many people equate with excessive consumption. A Chevy Suburban averages around 13 miles per gallon.
Nagusky said there have been ongoing internal discussions concerning the governor's vehicle, with his security detail insisting on something that can safely handle a wide range of weather and road conditions. The state continues to look at future options, Nagusky said, including the Ford Escape, a smaller SUV expected to be produced in a hybrid version in 2005.
"This is an issue and we're very much aware of it," Nagusky said. "The governor obviously is a very visible person."
And all the saints say "Amen!"
It's like these groups that run "scare ads". They pretty much guarantee that I will vote just the opposite. If there wasn't something seriously twisted about them and whatever they are pushing they could simply give me a few facts and let me decide. They wouldn't be trying to scare me and lie to me.
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