California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger joined 13 other governors on Thursday in urging U.S. auto makers to make cleaner cars.
"Automakers need to have long-range vision and develop the technology that will make them competitive in the world arena," Schwarzenegger said in a statement issued after a meeting with the Board of Directors of the Alliance of Automobile Manufacturers .
"I want to thank the automakers for meeting with me today. I believe there is an opportunity for us to be strong allies. In fact, California may be doing more to save the U.S. auto industry than anyone else because we are pushing them to change," the governor said.
He said California and 13 other states want cleaner, more efficient cars, but the government by itself "cannot get us where we need to go" and "technology is what will eventually save the auto industry and the environment."
Nearly half of America's drivers want automakers to make cleaner cars, which means there's a huge market for them, Schwarzenegger said.
"Automakers should get on board and tap into this great market," he said.
"Today, I made it clear to the automakers that California will not back down in the fight to protect our own environment by regulating pollution that causes global warming. We will continue to press the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to grant our request for a waiver, and we will use legal remedies if they fail to do so."
Schwarzenegger said hiding behind the federal government's proposed emission standards will not work, and it will not effectively reduce the pollution that causes global warming.
California, along with 13 other states, has proposed stricter limits on gas emissions for cars, but President George W. Bush's administration maintains that only the federal government has the right to set gas emission standards.
Source:Xinhua
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