LEARNING IN THE NEWS I

US FUEL EFFICIENCY

14 December, 2007 - Published 14:18 GMT -
Rajesh Mirchandani, BBC, Washington


Politicians in America have passed laws to increase the fuel efficiency of new vehicles by up to forty per cent. It's the first such legislation in more than thirty years. Supporters say it will help break America's 'addiction to oil'. This report from Rajesh Mirchandani:
The new legislation requires American auto-manufacturers to make more fuel-efficient vehicles. In fact it calls for a new average of thirty-five miles per gallon - that's about fifty-six kilometres per litre - and it's an increase of some forty per cent. Car makers will have thirteen years to reach the targets.
Congress also ordered a massive increase in the production of ethanol, an alternative fuel for cars: up sevenfold over fifteen years.
The Bill had bipartisan support. The most senior Democrat in the Senate, Harry Reid, said America must begin to break its addiction to oil and reverse global warming, and that this Bill would make strides towards that.
Senate Democrats didn't have it all their own way though. In order to win enough votes they had to drop parts of the Bill that called for billions of dollars in taxes on oil companies. This may yet prove to be a sticking point. The lower House of Representatives has approved the bill with the tax package and will now have to vote again on the reduced measure.

Vocabulary:

more fuel-efficient
using less fuel (e.g. petrol) to go a certain distance than existing cars

calls for
asks for and encourages

to reach the targets
to achieve what the new law requires

a massive increase
a very big growth

up sevenfold
seven times as much as is produced now

had bipartisan support
was supported by both main political parties in the US

to break its addiction to oil
to stop using as much oil as they have been used to over many years

make strides
make sure steps are taken

Democrats didn't have it all their own way
not everything happened the way the Democrats wanted and planned

a sticking point
a point in a discussion where it is very difficult, or even impossible to reach an agreement