Obama on energy independence
Published:Monday | January 26, 2009 | 4:36 PM
US President Barack Obama has called for the country to become energy independent as its reliance on foreign oil is posing a threat.
He has also ordered a review of whether states can set car emission standards.
This challenges a Bush administration decision, which favoured a national standard for vehicle pollution.
At his first White House news conference since becoming president, Mr Obama said he would reverse America\'s dependence on foreign oil while creating jobs.
He said he has already instructed the Environmental Protection Agency to review its refusal of a waiver, which had previously allowed California to set its own - stricter - vehicle emission and fuel efficiency standards.
President Obama also ordered the transportation department to come up with new short-term rules on how carmakers can improve fuel efficiency.
A 2007 law required that new cars and trucks produced by 2020 obtain 35 miles per gallon of fuel.
However, former President George W Bush reportedly failed to put in place the regulations to enable the law to be carried out.