With buddies of the auto industry now in charge of the White House, automakers said last week that they will no longer lobby to freeze federal fuel-efficiency standards. The Corporate Average Fuel Economy standards have remained unchanged since 1975, and the industry until last year had been successful in blocking the Clinton administration from even studying whether a raise should be considered. The National Academy of Sciences is due to complete a report on the issue by July. Dan Becker of the Sierra Club wasn’t hopeful the report will lead to a significant miles-per-gallon boost: “The fact is that there is a freeze this year anyway and it’s called George W. Bush.”
