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Early in his term as the newly-elected Governor of Colorado, Jared Polis signed an executive order to encourage the production and adoption of statewide zero-emission vehicle standards.

This order, which is modeled on policies adopted by California and nine other states, instructs public health officials to draft zero-emission vehicle standards for the Air Quality Control Commission. As Colorado pushes ahead, the Trump administration continues to undermine efforts to combat climate change.

In 2012, the federal government finalized fuel efficiency standards for cars produced from 2017 to 2025 to help reduce greenhouse gas emissions and improve air quality. Despite widespread support for federal clean car standards, the Environmental Protection Agency, which is currently headed by former coal lobbyist Andrew Wheeler, has pushed to roll back these safeguards.

As a student at Colorado State University and an intern for the environmental advocacy organization Defend Our Future, I worry what these rollbacks will mean for the future of my community

The negative consequences of such efforts are far-reaching, since the rollback also challenges whether states have the authority to regulate fuel efficiency, like Colorado and others have attempted.

As a student at Colorado State University and an intern for the environmental advocacy organization Defend Our Future, I worry what these rollbacks will mean for the future of my community and the state of Colorado. As our state attempts to address climate change, it’s alarming to see our federal government take steps to thwart the progress we’ve made.

If you share these concerns, please join me by calling on our senators, Cory Gardner and Michael Bennet, to stand up to Andrew Wheeler in his confirmation vote and make fighting climate change a national priority.

Wendy Griesan

Senior, Economic Major 

Student Intern with Defend Our Future

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