May 2, 2022 May 7, 2022 Ramona du Houx Since President Eisenhower’s massive investment that created our highway system Americans have been able to travel across the country in their own vehicle. However, as an unintended consequence, car-centric policies have also left us with choking traffic, polluted air and a climate crisis These car-centric policies leave us wide open to […]
These are all Electric Vehicles on the road in 2020 according to Autoweek – the CRP will provide the infrastructure for EVs like these
May 7, 2022
Ramona du Houx
Since President Eisenhower’s massive investment that created our highway system Americans have been able to travel across the country in their own vehicle. However, as an unintended consequence, car-centric policies have also left us with choking traffic, polluted air and a climate crisis These car-centric policies leave us wide open to the fluctuations in oil and gas prices precipitated by autocrats that use their fossil fuel profits to engage in conflicts – as is the case with Russia’s Putin. We and the world are at the mercy of these price shocks that fuel inflation.
The United States Department of Transportation’s new program will spend $6.4 billion over the next five years to reduce climate emissions from the nation’s transportation sector will fund projects that reduce pollution that are fueling the climate crisis.
The new Carbon Reduction Program (CRP) was created by the bipartisan Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, signed into law by President Joe Biden last November.
From installing infrastructure to support the electrification of freight vehicles and personal cars, to constructing Bus Rapid Transit corridors and supporting walking and biking, the CRP will fund a wide range of projects designed to reduce carbon dioxide emissions from on-road highway sources.
“Transportation is the largest climate polluter in the United States. Considering that Americans drive more than 3.2 trillion miles each year in inefficient, polluting vehicles, it’s actually not that surprising. Moving people and goods has become tied to severe climate change impacts that are disrupting millions of lives with life-threatening flooding, wildfires and unprecedented hurricanes,” said Environment America’s Destination Zero Carbon Campaign Director Morgan Folger. “We must make a massive shift in how we get around to cut global warming pollution. The good news is that at least we don’t need to invent new technologies to get there. From bicycles to electric cars and bus-only lanes, the U.S. Department of Transportation can help states invest in better ways to get around. The new Carbon Reduction Program will help states tackle the climate crisis and begin the work of redesigning a safer, healthier transportation system for today and future generations.”
The administration apportioned $1.2 billion for the CRP for 2022. A state-by-state breakdown of funding is available here. The program requires that each state develop a carbon-reduction strategy within two years.
Helpful science tips in playful videos that explain principles we all deal with to understand our climate crisis. The series is the creation of Olivia Baaten.
