Public radio from Western Michigan University 102.1 NPR News | 89.9 Classical WMUK
Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations
Interviews with news makers and discussion of topics important to Southwest Michigan. Subscribe to the podcast through Apple itunes and Google. Segments of interview are heard in WestSouthwest Brief during Morning Edition and All Things Considered

WSW: Cheap Gas Slows Progress On Sustainable Fuels

Gas prices posted at a filling station in Philidelphia on March 2, 2016
AP Images/Matt Rourke

It’s been a great month for a drive in Southwest Michigan - warm weather and blissfully low gas prices. But what’s good for our wallets isn’t always good for the environment. Nicholas Occhipinti - the director of policy and community activism for the West Michigan Environmental Action Council- says that low gas prices mean more pollution and sometimes they thwart sustainability efforts.

More SUVs, Less Hybrids

Occhipinti says 2008 through 2010, the United States saw a move toward more fuel efficient cars and less vehicle miles traveled.

“That was when gas prices were much higher. Now that they’re cheaper, folks have returned to their interests in larger, heavier SUVs, pickups, trucks. And the auto companies are immediately responding in no small part because they can make more money off those very large vehicles.”

In January, Fiat/Chrysler’s announced that it would discontinue the Dodge Dart and Chrysler 200 sedan to focus on more popular Jeeps and Ram pickups. At that time, gas was below $2 a gallon.

Less Incentive For Green Laws

Right now the Corporate Average Fuel Economy standards (or CAFÉ standards) require most cars and light trucks to get an average of 54.5 miles to the gallon by 2025. Occhipinti says this standard could easily be overturned by a new president or new legislators. With lower gas prices, there would be less of an incentive for legislators to keep that intact - especially with pressure from car makers.

Recycling Companies Suffer

If fossil fuels to make items like plastic are cheaper, there's less incentive to recycle already made goods, says Occhipinti.

"The low oil prices make raw materials that are virgin in nature - coming out of the ground, coming out of mines and being harvested from our natural world - cheaper relative to the recycled materials. And then companies go with those and they end up buying those because it saves them money."

Occhipinti says Kent County had to impose a tipping fee of $1 per ton, when before it was free. He says the county will likely increase that fee again because they're losing so much money at the recycling center.

What Should We Do With That Extra Cash?

Occhipinti says the state should increase the gas tax and put that money toward fixing the state's infrastructure - projects like the state's roads or pipe replacements in Flint. 

"Tax those things that are bad for society in order to pay for those things that are good for society. We've done that recently - we used an increase in the gas tax and vehicle registration fee to partially fund roads. And we can do that again to fully fund roads. Many folks thought that the compromise package passed in 2015 was not equal to the need. We could look at kind of increasing that."

On the federal level, Occhipinti suggests taxing carbon. He says, surprisingly, there are lawmakers on both sides of the aisle that support this. 

"Even major oil companies and gas companies support the idea. They want a more stable regulatory environment going forward. Companies such as BP, Shell oil, Stat oil, and Total have supported a carbon tax on the federal level."

Occhipinti says we could use the money from this tax for a number of good things - infrastructure, funding research to prevent diseases, pay off the national debt, or give citizens an income tax cut. 

You can stay in touch with WMUK news on FacebookTwitter,and by signing up for our eNewsletter.