Greece

References

1. ^ World Heritage: Acropolis, Athens

The Corporate Average Fuel Economy ( CAFE ) regulations in the United States, first enacted by Congress in 1975, are federal regulations intended to improve the average fuel economy of cars and light trucks (trucks, vans and sport utility vehicles) sold in the US in the wake of the 1973 Arab Oil Embargo. Historically, it is the sales-weighted harmonic mean fuel economy, expressed in miles per gallon (mpg), of a manufacturer's fleet of current model year passenger cars or light trucks with a gross vehicle weight rating of 8,500 pounds (3,856 kg) or less, manufactured for sale in the United States. This system would have changed with the introduction of "Footprint" regulations for light trucks binding in 2011, except that the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals has returned that rule to NHTSA for reconsideration for, among other things, being "arbitrary and capricious". Light trucks that exceed 8,500 lb GVWR do not have to comply with CAFE standards; SUVs and passenger vans are exempt up to 10,000 lb. In 1999, over half a million vehicles exceeded the GVWR and the CAFE standard did not apply to them. In 2011, the standard will change to include many larger vehicles. The United States has the lowest average fuel economy among first world nations; the European Union and Japan have fuel economy standards about twice as high as the United States.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) regulates CAFE standards and Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) measures vehicle fuel efficiency. Congress specifies that CAFE standards must be set at the "maximum feasible level" given consideration for 1) technological feasibility; 2) economic practicality; 3) effect of other standards on fuel economy; and 4) need of the nation to conserve energy. Historically EPA has encouraged consumers to buy more fuel efficient vehicles while NHTSA expresses concerns that smaller, more fuel efficient vehicles may lead to increased traffic fatalities.

If the average fuel economy of a manufacturer's annual fleet of car and/or truck production falls below the defined standard, the manufacturer must pay a penalty, currently $5.50 USD per 0.1 mpg under the standard, multiplied by the manufacturer's total production for the U.S. domestic market. Historically, higher fuel efficiency has been associated with lower traffic safety, intertwining the issues of fuel economy, road-traffic safety, air pollution, global warming and greenhouse gases, although this relationship is falling increasingly into dispute.

Charlotte Brontë (pronounced /ˈbrɒnti/ ) (April 21, 1816 – March 31, 1855) was a British novelist, the eldest of the three famous Brontë sisters whose novels have become standards of English literature. Charlotte Brontë is best known for Jane Eyre , one of the most famous of British novels.