Great news re: cars

From The New York Times:

E.P.A. Prepares to Roll Back Rules Requiring Cars to Be Cleaner and More Efficient
The Trump administration is expected to launch an effort in coming days to weaken greenhouse gas emissions and fuel economy standards for automobiles, handing a victory to car manufacturers and giving them ammunition to potentially roll back industry standards worldwide.

The move — which undercuts one of President Barack Obama’s signature efforts to fight climate change — would also propel the Trump administration toward a courtroom clash with California, which has vowed to stick with the stricter rules even if Washington rolls back federal standards. That fight could end up creating one set of rules for cars sold in California and the 12 states that follow its lead, and weaker rules for the rest of the states, in effect splitting the nation into two markets.

What is actually happening is that Obama's heightened CAFE Standards (Corporate Average Fuel Economy) are being rolled back to a more reasonable requirement. A bit more:

The rules, aimed at cutting tailpipe emissions of carbon dioxide, a major contributor to global warming, were one of the two pillars of Mr. Obama’s climate change legacy. Put forth in 2012, they would have required automakers to nearly double the average fuel economy of new cars and trucks to 54.5 miles per gallon by 2025.

First of all, carbon dioxide is not a pollutant, it is plant food. Without CO2, there would be no photosynthesis and therefore no plant life.

Second of all, the CAFE Standards are responsible for a marked increase in traffic fatalities. To increase the fuel efficiency (mileage), the manufacturers need to reduce weight - they do this by using thinner metal in the car bodies making them more dangerous in a collision. Data to support this: here, here, here, here, here and here