Activists call Toyota to embrace Cali's fuel efficiency standards

Priuses have made a name for Toyota as a green car company, but Toyota's joined the major auto companies to sue the state of California, lobbying against tougher emissions standards.

Toyota's a member of Association of International Automobile Manufacturers, which is suing to stop California's law to reduce global warming pollution. AAM's basically arguing that only the federal government can raise fuel efficiency standards -- and thus suing California, which passed AB 1493, a mandate that automakers reduce the overall CO2 output of their vehicles by model year 2009.

So today, a lil demonstration's happening in front of Toyota Santa Monica. The Freedom from Oil Campaign, Plug in America, and allies are calling on Toyota to become a leader in breaking our addiction to oil.

When: Today, October 22, 2007, at noon.
Where: Toyota Santa Monica, 801 Santa Monica Blvd., Santa Monica

See you in a few hours --

Update: Pictures from the demonstration

Comments

[Don]

It probably would make more sense to have this demonstration at the Toyota offices in Torrance. Toyota of SM is about as connected to the Toyota corporation as Albertson's is to Kraft Foods. (To be more precise, they're owned by L.A. Car Guy which owns a number of dealerships for assorted manufacturers throughout southern California).

[Mike Sandler]

It's true that the Santa Monica dealership is not responsible for Toyota Corporate's decision to remain part of the lawsuit against AB1493. I think the organizers picked Santa Monica to reach the general public and get some media attention.

A group of interfaith leaders did go down to Torrance to Toyota Corporate Headquarters last week. Here's the link to the article from the Torrance Daily Breeze, and the petition signed by 300 faith leaders, asking Toyota to drop out of the lawsuit against California's Clean Car Law: http://www.interfaithpower.org/toyotaletter.htm.

[Siel]

Good point, Don, but I do think that the point was more about public awareness, as Mike pointed out. After all, Santa Monica has a concentrated population of Prius owners --