Fuel efficiency for new cars sold in the U.S. reached a record high for the first half of 2012, according to the findings of an analysis released last week.
The study was conducted by the automotive analytical firm, Baum and Associates on behalf of the environmental advocacy group, Natural Resources Defense Council.
Two main factors the research identified as being a catalyst behind the
trend included an increased production of highly fuel efficient
vehicles as well as a rise in consumer demand for such cars.
“Not
only are consumers happy about this, but also the automakers
themselves,” said Alan Baum, principal of Baum and Associates. “When you
look at the new product offerings that are coming, the automakers are
clearly aware of the interest of the consumer in fuel economy.”
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Obama administration Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack has
added to the list of counties classified as disaster areas due to the
historically destructive summer drought. The majority of American
counties are now deemed disaster areas, including 98 of 102 in Illinois, with the
urban and suburban counties of Cook, DuPage, Kane and Will not getting
the designation.
On Monday afternoon, a group of protestors outside the James
R. Thompson Center called for a moratorium on hydraulic fracturing in southern
Illinois. 
The following is written by Jack Darin, director of the Sierra Club, Illinois Chapter.
