Today's Denver Post featured a full page ad from the auto industry asking Coloradans to call on Senator Salazar to oppose higher fuel efficiency standards. They make three (disingenuous) points.

First, Colorado needs powerful cars to get around in the mountains and in the snow. These cars will not be around if we require Detroit to make more fuel efficient cars.

Second, the auto manufacturers are doing the part to wean us from foreign oil by selling 200,000 cars that are capable of running on ethanol.

Third, it is not possible to meet a 35 mile per gallon standard and we should let the 'experts' at the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration set a more realistic standard.

Here are the facts:
First, existing technology can up the fuel efficiency of SUV's, pick up trucks and large cars. If the auto manufacturers wanted to make more fuel efficient SUV's, they could.

Second, making cars that can run on ethanol is nice but no one should be fooled into thinking it is the answer. There are only a handful of places to get ethanol in the state so very few cars actually run on the stuff. And wouldn’t it be better if cars achieved better gas mileage and ran on ethanol?

Third, the National Academy of Sciences estimates we could get to 40 MPG with existing technologies. In addition the auto industry has vehemently opposed efforts by the NTSB to set higher gas standards - that's why they have not happened.

Raising the fuel efficiency standards will do more to reduce our dependence on foreign oil, cut global warming pollution and save more money than almost any other policy - it can also help save domestic auto makers retool and rebound. This sort of backward thinking is why American auto manufacturers are going down the tubes.