The American Lung Association is getting ready to pump up Governor Phil Murphy’s impending ban on gasoline-powered cars. Murphy announced earlier this year that he intends to ban the sale of non-electric motor vehicles by 2035.
That move would make the sale of new gasoline-powered cars illegal in the state of New Jersey.
Today, the American Lung Association announced an effort to support Murphy’s ban by announcing a report revealing the health benefits of switching to electric vehicles in New Jersey.
“A report from the American Lung Association, to be released on June 7, examines the impact that a transition to electric passenger vehicles powered by zero-emission electricity sources would have on New Jersey residents,” the agency said today.
“Driving to Clean Air: Health Benefits of Zero-Emission Cars and Electricity” focuses on the health benefits of a shift away from polluting vehicles and toward zero-emission passenger vehicles, including cars, SUVs and light pickup trucks, powered by non-combustion electricity. “Driving to Clean Air” will reveal the impact the transition would have nationwide and locally in New Jersey.
The ALA said the report comes at a time when state and federal officials are pushing to ban gasoline-powered vehicles.
“The transportation sector is a leading source of air pollution and the nation’s biggest source of carbon pollution that drives climate change and associated public health harms. According to the Lung Association’s 2023 “State of the Air” report, approximately 120 million people in the U.S. live in areas with unhealthy levels of air pollution,” the agency said in a press release today. “Low-income communities and many communities of color too often bear disproportionate burdens from air pollution broadly, and transportation pollution, specifically. This new report comes at a time when federal and state policymakers are considering adoption of new vehicle standards to curb harmful emissions.”
The ban on gasoline-powered cars will upset the state’s gasoline tax, which will skyrocket the tax for gas-powered vehicles and create the need for a new tax on electric powered vehicles in order to maintain the revenue sources for the state.
Governor Murphy has not addressed a plan to tackle the steep financial costs that will impact New Jerseyans.