This news today from headlines via Yahoo! (originally via Associated Press, apparently).  Headline below is linked.

 Obama orders new fuel standards for future

I'm not quoting any of the article here because I didn't see a bullet item type quote to grab, but regardless, I'm happy to see this news and do encourage readers here at the JoeUser.com community (and sister sites) to check the original article for details.

While I'm not normally on the Obama bandwagon, I do try to give the man the benefit of the doubt and when he does put forth policies that I can get behind, then I don't mind noting that.  This is one of those cases.  I've said for a while, despite my own apparent hypocritcal stance here since I drive a vehicle that is a bit of a gas-guzzler {mini-van}, that we need to be raising our required fuel efficiency standards while also doing everything else we can to reduce our dependence upon foreign oil and other natural resources.  I still stand behind that position, and will be one of the first to say that I'll be glad when vehicles do get upwards of 35 MPG for just about everything on the road.  I'd love to have my mini-van getting 30 - 35 MPG but it won't happen unless the manufacturers are forced to make the vehicles more efficient.  If they aren't forced into it they'll claim it's too expensive to make the vehicles more efficient, or claim that people don't want more fuel efficient vehicles (which, again, I admit to being a bit of a hypocrit in this area because the reason I'm driving a mini-van is all about my own personal comfort and safety.  I'd happily drive something that is more efficient if it was in a similar form factor).

Hopefully these new standards will come to pass and hopefully they will result in a better future for us all.