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Green campaigners attempt to 'divert' EU to fuel efficiency

On Thursday 3rd July 2008, coinciding with the informal Environment and Energy Council in Paris, Friends of the Earth Europe and other environmental activists, were seen pushing vehicles around Brussels, Berlin, Madrid and Paris, urging environment ministers to 'push' for fuel efficiency by enforcing stricter regulations regarding the fuel consumption of cars.

Band help 'push' for fuel effiecient cars. (Photo credit: FoEE/Stefan Vandermeulen)

Outside the European Parliament in Brussels, Rebecca Harms, Green Party MEP and vice-chairwoman of the Temporary Committee on Climate Change, and a group of musicians helped campaigners push a car around a track, with each lap symbolising a year from 2008 to 2012, when proposed targets which aim to reduce CO2 emissions of new cars by 25 per cent to 120g/km will be introduced. According to campaigners, evidence proves that this is an easily reachable target.

Recent rapid increases in oil prices mean that European citizens will benefit if legislation is changed, since they won't need to buy fuel as often and efficient cars are unlikely to cost more than others. Also, lessened amounts of CO2 emitted from vehicles will without doubt have a positive effect on the environment, therefore helping to tackle the growing problem of climate change.

However, car manufacturers appear unwilling to promote fuel efficiency, with industry marketing practices leaning towards more powerful and less efficient models. Jeroen Verhoeven, car efficiency campaigner for Friends of the Earth Europe said: "Today, carmakers are still competing on engine power. The EU needs to set the rules so that carmakers start racing towards greater fuel efficiency."

One element of the campaign includes 'Mundo cars', a fictitious brand of fuel efficient vehicles, which has been created by activists in hope of providing a different way of seeing cars.

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