At the AJC Los Angeles Annual Luncheon Meeting on April 25th 2007, Chapter President Sherry A. Weinman announced the passage of a resolution on reducing demand for oil. This resolution encourages AJC members in Los Angeles to make a personal committment to reducing their oil usage by saving energy at all levels of usage - in the home, at the office, in choosing the fuels we use in our vehicles.

In particular the resolution calls on members, businesses with corporate fleets to purchase alternative fuel vehicles. It also calls on business owners to provide incentives to employees to purchase alternative fuel vehicles.

AJC Los Angeles will be compiling information on current ownership of alternative fuel vehicles to track the effectiveness of the Chapter's efforts.

Click here to let Congress know you support reducing our dependence on oil by increasing fuel efficiency standards.

AJC LOS ANGELES CHAPTER RESOLUTION ON REDUCING DEMAND FOR OIL

Background

In furtherance of AJC's National Energy Policy Statement, the Los Angeles Chapter encourages its members to save energy at all levels of usage - in the home, at the office, in choosing the fuels we use in our vehicles.  The outpouring of dollars for gasoline and other oil products (including approximately $400 million daily to the Middle East and Venezuela) is enriching some of the world's most dangerous regimes, causing us as Americans and as Jews to finance brutal anti-American, anti-Semitic and anti-Israel states and terrorist groups with our petrodollars.   For this reason, as well as for the negative impact of fossil fuels on global warming, we are morally and fiscally obliged to do everything we can to curb our demand for oil.

Furthermore, the issue of National Security touches everyone in this country, regardless of religious or political preference. Therefore all Americans must act to safeguard America's national security by reducing our dependence on oil.

Today, America's economy is 60% dependent on foreign oil, and according to the Department of Energy is on track to reach 70% by 2025.  As a consumer of a quarter of the world's oil supply and as holder of a mere three percent of global oil reserves, America simply can not drill its way to self-sufficiency and yet our economic stability is dependent upon a continuous supply of oil.

Since 2/3rd of all oil consumed in the United States goes towards transportation, and Californians rely heavily on transportation for personal and commercial use, AJC Los Angeles Chapter members are urgently encouraged to consider fuel efficiency when purchasing a car or truck. There are technical solutions that are available to us today and we must take advantage of them to help reduce our nation's oil use now and change peoples' attitudes on oil consumption long into the future.
 
The AJC was the first non-profit organization to offer incentives to its employees to purchase 'green vehicles'. A bonus of $2,500 is given to those who purchase a Toyota Prius, Honda Civic Hybrid, or Honda Insight for their premium fuel efficiency and EPA rating.  Ten other vehicles qualify for a bonus of $1,500. Companies such as Bank of America and Google have also implemented similar programs.

In addition, the Los Angeles Chapter is encouraging local businesses to purchase full hybrid or fuel efficient fleets and to provide incentives for employees to purchase such vehicles.

The highest priority for the United States in the field of energy and trade ought to be reducing our demand for oil and petroleum products, such as gasoline and petro-diesel. The Los Angeles Chapter, following the initiative taken by the Washington Chapter, hopes that all AJC members throughout the country will adopt the following resolutions.  Our actions can help raise awareness of this crisis, and demonstrate that there is a way to put a stop to our country's ever-growing oil demand.   

Resolutions

1) Resolved, that in purchasing or leasing new vehicles, the Chapter's Board calls upon all Chapter members to give preferential consideration to acquiring and to acquire, unless clearly not practicable, only (1) conventionally powered or partial hybrid vehicles with city/highway average fuel economy of 35 mpg or greater or, alternatively, (2) unconventionally powered vehicles - full gas-electric hybrids, hydrogen fuel vehicles, modern clean diesel-powered vehicles, ethanol-powered (flexible fuel) vehicles, natural gas-powered vehicles (using compressed or liquefied natural gas).
2) Resolved, that the Chapter's Board calls upon Chapter members who own businesses, or are partners in businesses, to give preferential consideration to acquiring and to acquire, unless clearly not practicable, only hybrid or other highly fuel efficient vehicles for their business's corporate fleet.
3) Resolved, that the Chapter's Board calls upon Chapter members who own businesses, or are partners in businesses, to strongly consider providing, unless clearly not practicable, incentives for their employees or associates to purchase highly fuel efficient vehicles. AJC can provide the material to make such programs easy to implement.

The Board asks that each member of the Los Angeles Chapter (a) who owns one of these fuel efficient vehicles on April 25th to provide that information to the Staff for compiling a baseline of current ownership, and (b) who subsequently purchases such a vehicle to so advise the Staff so that the Chapter periodically can publish such information to demonstrate the progress of this effort.