Our overdependence on oil causes a host of environmental, health, national security, and economic problems. The impacts include beautiful wilderness areas destroyed by oil drilling, beaches marred by oil spills, national parks choked with smog, and global warming.

But it doesn't have to be this way. New technology exists today that would make our cars get much better gas mileage, a simple solution that would reduce our dependence on oil. We can protect the environment and spend a lot less at the pump too.

With gas costs taking a toll on our pocketbooks, Americans are demanding solutions. We have a tremendous opportunity right now to get the federal government to make our cars go farther on a gallon of gas and finally break America's oil habit.

Oil Is Harming Our Environment
WILDERNESS DESTRUCTION: Oil drilling is dangerous and dirty. According to state offi cials, the area on Alaska's northern coast where drilling is allowed suffered 504 spills per year from 1996 to 2004.

GLOBAL WARMING: The increasing severity of the storms we're seeing in the Gulf of Mexico is consistent with scientists' predictions of global warming's effects. The more gas we put in our cars, the more global warming pollution they emit.

Technology Offers Real Solutions
The National Academy of Sciences says that currently available technology can make the average car today get 40 miles per gallon, nearly double the current average of 20.8 mpg. Consumers would save nearly $80 billion a year when fully phased in.

The Toyota Prius (estimated 60 mpg in the city) and the Ford SUV Escape (about 35 mpg) show that smarter engines, more effi cient transmissions, and other design improvements can make big gains in gas mileage.

Industry Aims to Repeal Safeguards
Instead of backing real solutions, oil industry lobbyists continue to push to drill off America's protected beaches and in the pristine Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. The Bush administration's own experts say that drilling in the Arctic would lower gas prices by just $.01 a gallon.

In the wake of gas price spikes following Hurricane Katrina, the House of Representatives passed an oil industry-backed bill that would gut clean air standards at refi neries, which would do nothing to lower energy costs.

The Time Is Now
In response to the OPEC oil embargo in the 1970s, the federal government enacted the fi rst-ever requirements for gas mileage. The effort was a smashing success, raising the average gas mileage of cars and trucks from just over 14 mpg in 1976 to 27.5 mpg for cars and 20.7 mpg for trucks by 1985.

Today, the issue is once again coming to the fore. Because our cars get such poor gas mileage, more and more Americans are being forced to cut back on other necessities to keep gas in their cars. It's not unusual for commuters to fi ll up two or three times a week, spending as much as $50 or more each time.

The time is now to convince the federal government to finally take action and require auto manufacturers to meet a gas mileage standard of 40 miles per gallon within ten years.

How you can help: Please ask Senator Ken Salazar to support increasing gas mileage standards.