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Fuel Economy Standards Rollback a Massive Giveaway for Automakers, Fossil Fuel Companies That Will Cost Families at the Pump

Good job, Secretary Duffy and President Trump -- you're destroying a program that has helped avoid $32 billion in increased fuel costs for consumers just since you started your stupid war and $321 billion since it was reformed in 2010. www.ucs.org/about/news/f...

ucs.org

The federal government under President Donald Trump today finalized a rollback of fuel economy standards for passenger cars and trucks. Statement by the Union of Concerned Scientists.

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Tim Robinson: Oh My God, He Admit It!

So why are they doing this? Well, because consumers paying more in oil benefits domestic oil companies: "the additional financial burden to U.S. consumers is captured by domestic producers in the United States." (p. 6-35, www.nhtsa.gov/sites/nhtsa....)

static.klipy.com

Alt: Tim Robinson: Oh My God, He Admit It!

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Of course, the real kicker is that the analysis they did do shows that they are royally screwing consumers. Congratulations, their own analysis shows you will be spending at least $335 more in fuel than you save in upfront costs! (chart adapted from pp. 727-729: www.nhtsa.gov/sites/nhtsa....)

Chart indicating price reduction, increase in fuel costs, and net penalty to consumers for model year 2031 vehicles. For cars, this is a reduction of $1,335 in price compared to a net increase in $3,600 in fuel costs, for a net downside of $2,265. For trucks, this is $1,482 in price, $6,062 in fuel, and net $4,580. Overall, because of projected changes in the relative marketshare, for the overall fleet these are a price reduction of $1,289, compared to an increase in fuel costs of $1,624, for a net penalty of $335.

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Alt: Smart Thinking Meme of black man tapping head in a "thinking" gesture.

They've also drastically reduced rules that manufacturers have already complied with because EVs were used for compliance (which NHTSA says is a no-no) even though my analysis showed OEMs could've met the rules with hybrids. But if you don't do the analysis you don't have to acknowledge that fact!

static.klipy.com

Smart Thinking Meme

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Dave Cooke @ucsdave.bsky.social · 25/09/2026

The Trump administration today has, in the middle of crazy high gas and diesel prices, rolled back the nation's fuel economy standards to levels below that which today's vehicles achieve. www.transportation.gov/briefing-roo...

transportation.gov

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This is an important thread about how the conversation about permitting reform is being entirely discussed as some bullshit political game and ignores the harmful realities of doing this right now. Unfortunately this is how politics is discussed in media, totally disconnected from actual outcomes.

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Erik Schlenker-Goodrich @riogranderift.bsky.social · 25/09/2026

Man, the framing of this bill is so rooted in insider DC politics. The idea that Ds have secured “major concessions”—i.e., a Trump promise to ease his oppo to renewables, esp. wind, which was lawless to begin with & unlikely to manifest beyond a handshake deal (not law)—strikes me as so bogus.

Politico: “Not dead yet: What’s next for permitting reform
Democrats are betting that they’ll be able to hold onto major concessions made by Republicans and the Trump administration with a vote after the election.”

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Union of Concerned Scientists @ucs.org · 21/09/2026

🌍 What do Erin Brockovich, António Guterres, and UCS President @gretchentg.bsky.social have in common? They were all named to @the-independent.com's list of the world's top 100 campaigners, change makers & innovators who are working to turn the tide on the climate crisis.

the-independent.com

The Independent Climate 100 List 2026

Back for its third year, The Independent is proud to publish its list of the world’s leading environmentalists – marking the campaigners, change makers and innovators who are making a positive and sig...

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The Volatile Mermaid @ohnoshetwitnt.bsky.social · 21/09/2026

From the people who told you that straight white male privilege doesn’t exist…

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Fietser @americanfietser.bsky.social · 16/09/2026

*chokes on own saliva 😂 Ah yes, in a country that designed by force, car dependency into its entire built landscape, making car ownership and driving the first basic requirement to participate in society.

businessinsider.com

The trick to lowering gas prices is driving less, US energy secretary says

AAA said Labor Day travelers can expect the highest gas prices ever for this time of year. The national average for regular gas was $4.14 on Sunday.

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Megan Wachspress @meganwachspress.bsky.social · 04/09/2026

Any time you look around an academic department and ask, "why are there no/so few tenured women?" know that the answer includes stories like this of women who quietly disappeared. (then the men that remain think, even if they never say, "there are inherent gender differences" and act accordingly)

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Lennie Brisco County Jr @mburchett.bsky.social · 02/09/2026

There *is* a better way to “debate the issue of transgender athletes” If someone says they have concerns about Trans Athletes, you call them Weirdos and tell them to fuck off.

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tekla 💜✨ @tekla.bsky.social · 01/09/2026

“has no end point beyond despair”? Really? All these movements and organizations have goals and dreams and visions for the future. You could ask us, Jon.

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Alt US Forest Service @altusfs.altgov.info · 29/08/2026

Follow @resistancerangers.altgov.info. They collaborate. They build coalitions. They *don’t* sell stickers and tees.

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The 51st @51st.news · 29/08/2026

Could the midterms can be a "spark" towards a more lasting, effective D.C. statehood movement? Robert White thinks so. As part of a new political initiative, White, Free DC, and other partners will deploy D.C. residents to campaign for Democrats in key House races, @samdelgado.bsky.social reports.

51st.news

Eyeing the midterm elections, D.C. is taking the fight for statehood to the states

Robert White, Free DC, and other partners are deploying residents to campaign for Democrats in key House races as part of a new political initiative.

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Jenna Norton @jenna-m-norton.bsky.social · 27/08/2026

Very excited for this call next week. Hope you can join!

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Dave Cooke @ucsdave.bsky.social · 26/08/2026

Two weeks after the updated CAFE rule has cleared review and no closer to knowing what they've finalized. This rule must be really bad! Sec. Duffy's got time to hype his Toyota-sponsored road show...surely he's got time to break down how much more families are going to spend on their own road trips?

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Katelyn Burns @katelynburns.com · 25/08/2026

Stroads shouldn't exist.

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Adam Rogers @jetjocko.bsky.social · 05/08/2026

One way to read this is, the whole focus of modern car regulation is keeping people inside them safe and happy, and free of responsibility for anything that happens to people outside them. Which seems bad, I guess I should add.

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Dave Cooke @ucsdave.bsky.social · 25/08/2026

To be fair, punching left is the entire premise of the book, since the authors decided up front that only Dems have agency.

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Bruno J. Navarro @brunojnavarro.bsky.social · 25/08/2026

our military has no place on our streets and they know it

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Dave Cooke @ucsdave.bsky.social · 25/08/2026

Really feeling the "shame" on that misspelling because i knew it looked wrong, but too late to go back now. mnemonic really is a cruel word.

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Dave Cooke @ucsdave.bsky.social · 25/08/2026

At least the pneumonic is easy: HOMES --> SHAME

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Dave Cooke @ucsdave.bsky.social · 21/08/2026

Of course it's all batteries installed -- that's what matters for learning by doing, which is what the chart shows.

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Dave Cooke @ucsdave.bsky.social · 21/08/2026

Why do you need to read that off the chart? The point of the chart is to show learning (hence the labeled lines), which is best understood log/linear with volume, as is done. Data visualization serves a purpose beyond the numbers -- it's about the underlying relationship.

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Dave Cooke @ucsdave.bsky.social · 21/08/2026

The best way to describe this type of work remains: "All models are wrong, but some are useful."

The War on Cars @thewaroncars.bsky.social · 15/08/2026

Reposted by Dave Cooke

Another example of "both sides" framing. It's not just advocates who say that speed cameras save lives. The evidence that this very post says advocates are citing — and that journalists could also cite — says this quite clearly.

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Dave Cooke @ucsdave.bsky.social · 13/08/2026

Can't wait to see how they spin undermining fuel economy regulations in the middle of a war over oil costing Americans at the pump!

David Roberts @volts.wtf · 05/08/2026

Reposted by Dave Cooke

The IRA was good policy. And it would have been better -- and had faster & more dramatic results -- if not constrained & blunted by the idiosyncratic assholery of one dimwit egotistical senator. Just because it couldn't stop a global tsunami of discontent doesn't mean it "didn't work."

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Dave Cooke @ucsdave.bsky.social · 03/08/2026

That's fascinating because I read his book, and I feel like correcting ppl mistaking Luddites as just anti-tech was a big part of the book!

Dave Cooke @ucsdave.bsky.social · 02/08/2026

So...like the original Luddites?

Dave Cooke @ucsdave.bsky.social · 23/07/2026

I have far too much detail for this to be true, I hope, but this is definitely how I feel as a peer reviewer looking at submissions today, and for the general consternation I am no doubt about to provide some grad students, I apologize.

"Are we the baddies?" meme with replacement text: "Am I reviewer 2?"

Dave Cooke @ucsdave.bsky.social · 22/07/2026

More than half of money for roads comes from general taxes. Anyone saying drivers pay for roads is talking out their ass. blog.ucs.org/dave-cooke/t...

blog.ucs.org

The User-Pay Myth: We ALL Pay for Our Roads, Not Just Drivers - Union of Concerned Scientists

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Dave Jorgenson @davejorgenson.bsky.social · 22/07/2026

U.S. energy policy the last 50 years

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Union of Concerned Scientists @ucs.org · 20/07/2026

1/ Bloomberg Law reports that EPA is proposing major air pollution rules that don’t consider the health benefits of clean air while still calculating industry compliance costs. That’s not a balanced cost-benefit analysis. It’s only half of an equation.

news.bloomberglaw.com

EPA’s Truck Rule Extends Novel Approach to Cost-Benefit Analysis

The EPA’s new proposal to ease truck pollution standards marks at least the third time this year that the agency has floated a rule that doesn’t consider the monetized value of human health effects.

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Free DC @freedcproject.bsky.social · 20/07/2026

People are shocked when they come to DC now and see groups of fully armed soldiers patrolling our neighborhoods. Trump's occupation of DC has been going on for nearly a year — and he wants it to go on forever. We refuse to allow this to become normalized and continue to call for it to end.

theguardian.com

A year into a national guard deployment, DC residents say they live in ‘a city under siege’

Since Trump deployed troops last August, Washingtonians have banded together to resist and support one another

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Seth D. Michaels @sethdmichaels.bsky.social · 14/07/2026

if you walked into a hospital intensive care unit and started pulling patients off of their oxygen tanks at random you'd be arrested but if you do the same thing at scale?

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John Timmer @jtimmer.bsky.social · 13/07/2026

It's been sitting in my "to read" tabs for a while but I've finally gotten around to reading this. I've got two thoughts on it, which I'll elaborate below. One is it's just sloppy. And two it suffers from a common problem: it assumes scientists are the only ones with agency.

link.springer.com

Science Shouldn't Be Political - Journal of Academic Ethics

Scientific institutions increasingly engage in politics through candidate endorsements and public advocacy, raising questions about the neutrality of scientific institutions and public trust in scienc...

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Brent Toderian @brenttoderian.bsky.social · 12/07/2026

Does replacing parking with bike-lanes hurt restaurant business? Of course not, as this new peer-reviewed STUDY of 15 years of Montreal data showed. ACTUALLY, downtown experienced significant restaurant growth after bike lanes were installed. @momentummag.bsky.social momentummag.com/do-bike-lane...

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Incredibly, the people who wrote this rule want to pretend this will result in 90% of the benefits of the rule as finalized, but that's because they didn't quantify the vast majority of the proposed changes. And now I get JUST 45 DAYS to point out how much worse this rule is than they acknowledge!

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Finally, they're cutting engine warranties back to a mere 100k miles, which means OEMs won't ensure lasting devices and truckers would have to bear replacement costs, except they won't actually pay for that because they'll simply ignore the "check engine" light and drive w/faulty controls. COOL.

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Cummins delays new X10, 7-liter B-Series engines

They're also allowing manufacturers to buy their way out of compliance, claiming the rules are hard while also proposing massive credit windfalls and expanded flexibilities. Cummins has already acknowledged plans to take advantage of this "pay to pollute" scheme. www.ccjdigital.com/trucks/class...

ccjdigital.com

Cummins plans to absorb the non-compliance fines and pass those costs through to the engine's pricing.

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Survey: 25 Percent of You Ignore Your Check Engine Light - Kelley Blue Book

First on my mind is that they are proposing to replace a derating schedule that ensures truckers have to keep their emissions controls operational with a f'ing "check engine" light. They're already ensuring ~25% of trucks won't have properly maintained emissions controls! www.kbb.com/car-news/sur...

kbb.com

As much as a quarter of car owners never bother to get a check engine light serviced. Over a third take the car in for service within a week.

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