Strong CAFE Needed

WHEN IT COMES to corporate average fuel economy standards -- CAFE -- the Senate's massive energy bill strikes a reasonable position. All cars and light trucks, up to 10,000 pounds, should have a CAFE of 35 miles per gallon by 2020. Each year after that until 2030, CAFE would increase 4 percent over the previous year. Sen. Mark Pryor (D-Ark.), Sen. Christopher S. Bond (R-Mo.) and Sen. Carl M. Levin (D-Mich.) are pushing a weaker alternative that is expected to be voted on today. It deserves to fail.

The Pryor-Bond-Levin amendment would boost CAFE for cars to 36 mpg and for trucks to 30 by 2022. There is no mandate for increases after that. Mr. Levin, who has been quoted many times deploring what he says is the harm that the stronger CAFE standards would cause the automobile industry, told us yesterday that unlike the Senate bill, the CAFE standards that he, Mr. Bond and Mr. Pryor are seeking are "achievable." Of the amendment, Mr. Levin said, "It pushes the auto industry, but doesn't push them over the cliff." This seems to be to the liking of the industry, which seems to resist, its long-term self-interest notwithstanding, every time a regulation is proposed to enhance passenger safety, improve gas mileage or help the environment.

Mr. Levin says that this isn't just about protecting Detroit: Volkswagen and Toyota also have a dog in the fight. Should it make us feel better if not only Detroit but also Wolfsburg and Toyota City are being let off the hook? There's a climate crisis brewing, and the transportation sector, which accounts for 33 percent of global warming pollution, must do its part to combat it.

For this reason, the Senate energy bill's more stringent CAFE measure must prevail over the Pryor-Bond-Levin amendment. According to environmental advocates, three senators stand in the way of that possibly happening: Sen. John W. Warner (R-Va.), Sen. Barbara A. Mikulski (D-Md.) and Sen. James Webb (D-Va.). We did our whip count yesterday, and here's what we learned. Mr. Warner told us he "has decided to vote against the amendment." Mr. Webb said he "is inclined" to support it. That leaves Ms. Mikulski, whose office didn't return our call or e-mail. If she's still on the fence, she should follow Mr. Warner's wise lead.