United Methodist Women, Tennessee Faith Groups Call on Ford Motor Co. to Support Clean Car Standards That Protect Public Health

The “Faith to Ford” Letters Will Be Delivered to Ford Motor Co. and Company Executives on March 28 at 3:15 p.m. CDT

For Immediate Release

NEW YORK – United Methodist Women, Tennessee United Methodist Women and Tennessee Interfaith Power and Light will urge Ford Motor Co. to adopt Clean Car Standards on Thursday, March 28 at 3:15 p.m. CDT at Wyatt Johnson Ford, 646 Thompson Lane in Nashville, Tennessee. Upon delivering a series of “Faith to Ford” letters, the leaders of faith will meet with Ford Motor Company Dealer Principal Katherine Cannata and Ford Motor Company General Manager Brent Adams.

The letter delivery effort is part of the United Methodist Women’s “Just Energy for All” campaign, which seeks to highlight and end the harmful impacts of climate change on children and frontline communities.

“The United States emits 15 percent of greenhouse gases annually, even though we only represent just four percent of the world’s population,” said Harriett Jane Olson, CEO, United Methodist Women. “This is not the time for Ford Motor Company to retreat from its full support of the clean car standards that not only reduce air pollution but save families money at the pump.”

“We are uniting with other people of faith to urge Ford Motor Co. and its dealerships to recommit to the achievable Clean Car Standards that they once supported,” said Shannon Priddy, president, United Methodist Women. “We’re asking the company to do so for the common good of God’s Creation and our most vulnerable communities that suffer most from pollution and the effects of climate change.”

The Clean Car Standards would raise fuel-efficiency standards to an average of 54.5 miles per gallon by 2025. Although Ford fully supported these standards in 2011, it lobbied the current administration for a review, asking for “additional flexibility” that would roll back important benefits for emissions reductions and fuel savings. The Environmental Protection Agency and National Highway Traffic and Safety Administration are expected to release weakened clean car standards by the end of this spring.

“Tailpipe pollution is a major contributor of air pollution. It has been linked to a variety of health problems, including aggravating asthma and other respiratory, cardiovascular conditions, and even premature death,” said Margaret Howell, president, Edgehill United Methodist Women in Nashville. “We are called by our faith to try to protect creation and protect life. That is why we want Ford to stop all efforts to weaken the clean car standards.”

“Undoubtedly, the health of low-income families and communities of the black and brown population is disproportionately damaged by tailpipe pollution,” said Rita L. Smith, president of the North Central Jurisdiction United Methodist Women. “Rolling back fuel economy and emissions standards means denying low-income children the promise of cleaner air and healthier communities – financially and environmentally.”

United Methodist Women, Tennessee United Methodist Women and Tennessee Interfaith Power and Light are asking Ford Motor Co. to deliver a public statement that clearly defines their support for the standards. A sample statement that would satisfy the “Faith to Ford” campaign is as follows:

“We at Ford support and will implement the federal greenhouse gas reduction and fuel efficiency Clean Car Standards as they were adopted in 2012. We do not support any effort to roll back their benefits, whether through policymaking, legislation or litigation. We do not support the federal administration’s proposal for a weaker clean car standard.”

“The efforts to roll back America’s clean car standards will force American families to give billions of dollars to oil companies for gasoline for the privilege of driving less-efficient vehicles, instead of spending the savings from more-efficient vehicles on food, housing, medical care and other things families need,” said Dan Joranko, coordinator for Tennessee Interfaith Power and Light, and owner of a Ford Focus.

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Contact: Yvette Moore, Director of Public Relations and Marketing, ymoore@uwfaith.org.