Advocacy Project: Issue Overview

Introduction

• What is the issue/problem?
• Increase use of alternative modes of transportation to reduce motor vehicle emissions and improve the Nation’s air quality (trips made by walking). 
• What current legislation has been proposed to address this? (Identify bill # and name)
• H.R.2724 National Transportation Objectives Act of 2009

Who is affected by the issue?

• Who is affected the most?
• Individuals who work in the automobile industry and the oil industry
• Who loses, and what do they lose?
• People in the automotive industry stand to lose hours at work and potentially their jobs if cars are not at as high of a demand as usual. And individuals within the oil industry stand to lose incredible amounts of money from the decline in gas consumed by Americans.
• Who gains, and what do they gain?
• People living in metropolitan areas stand to gain the most from this because the air they breathe will be cleaner as well as they will be saving money on fuel and other driving related costs.

What are the consequences of the issue?

• For the individuals mostly affected?
• The consequences of this issue would be effects to our economy by the reduction of automobiles being produced and the amount of oil being used. Also as a result we could end up with more individuals jobless and living in less fortunate conditions.
• For their families?
• People who work in the automobile industry could become jobless and their families would then suffer because they would be forced to transition into a different lifestyle.
• For society?
• Our society would be impacted by more unemployed individuals and have to find a means to provide these people with what they need.

What is the economic impact of the issue?

• What are the economic costs of the issue, and who bears these costs?
• The economic costs of providing for more unemployed individuals would be directed upon those who remain employed and pay taxes.
• What are the economic benefits of the issue, and who benefits?
• The economic benefits include, less money to be put into roads since they will be traveled less, and also by people walking we could see lower health care costs because individuals will be participating in more exercise. Also with people consuming less oil, fuel prices may decline and in turn when driving is absolutely necessary it will not be such a burden because of gas prices.

What is the social impact of the issue?

• What are the social costs of the issue, and who bears these costs?
• The social costs of this will be reflected on taxpayers because they will have to pay to support more individuals who are jobless and seeking employment.
• What are the social benefits of the issue, and who benefits?
• The benefits of this issue are that people will be interacting in more physical activity and in turn more likely to seek other forms of physical activity, resulting in group exercise increasing in popularity.

What are the barriers?

• What are the barriers to addressing this issue?
• The barriers of this are that the automobile industry will fight until its last breath I order to not loose its profit from car sales. Not only is the sales of automobiles important to the industry, it is the lively hood for many individuals.
• How can they be overcome?
• Individuals my have to resort to more manual labor jobs to maintain the size of a workforce and lesson machine use. With less automobiles being created there will be less need for individual workers within the industry.

What are the resources?

• What resources will we need to address this issue?
• Individuals who strongly support air quality and environmental health are very strong resources who will support this issue, such as the EPA.
• Where and how can they be tapped?
• Strong evidence based data will need to be provided to insure that theses resources are not just jumping into the situation blind, and they will also need a lot of support within specific communities.

What is the history of this issue?

• What is the history of the issue in the community?
• Air quality has been steadily decreasing for a number of years, and the amount to pollution linked to automobiles continues to increase rapidly.
• What past efforts were made to address it?
• The EPA has started multiple campaigns to address this issue and increase the number of individuals who resort to walking and only drive when necessary.
• What were the results?
• Results are pretty minimal, but continue to improve and progress. The busy hustle-and-bustle lifestyle we as Americans life makes it inconvenient to walk somewhere because it takes time and we feel like that is something we don’t have.

Allies & Opponents

• Who would support this issue?
• Groups and organizations that strongly support environmental health and increasing air quality.
• Who would oppose this issue?
• People who work within the automobile industry and individuals who work in the oil industry will strongly oppose this issue because it is a means of living for them and their families
• How can you involve allies and opponents in advocacy efforts? (What common ground can you share? How can you create a win-win for your allies and your opponents?)
• They can find a common ground on building a healthier, cleaner environment for us all to live in. They can also involve efforts toward supporting fuel-efficient and eco-friendly cars.

Your Recommendation

• How do you want policy-makers to vote on this proposed policy?
• I recommend that policy makers vote yes to this specific policy. Not only does it lower emissions and improve air quality, but it also increased the amount of physical activity people participate in. To me this policy has noting but an up side, it may result in the automobile industry taking a hit, but in the long run we are preserving our plant. Our generations will not be directly impacted by this change but it is about preserving our planet for generations to come.