Both the current occupant of the White House and EPA chief Scott Pruitt are climate change skeptics. While environmentalists have been working overtime to convince President Trump otherwise, a once unlikely industry is now taking a leading position to do just that. Automotive News reports that earlier this month General Motors, Ford, and nine other automakers sent a letter to the White House's Office of Management and Budget stating they "strongly support" the state of California's mileage standards as well as those figures on a federal level.

The Alliance of Automobile Manufacturers, which certainly has some sway with the federal government, had this to say in a letter to the White House: "Automakers remain committed to increasing fuel efficiency requirements, which yield everyday fuel savings for consumers while also reducing emissions -- because climate change is real and we have a continuing role in reducing greenhouse gases and improving fuel efficiency." Not so coincidentally, this letter was written about a week after President Trump said he'd be willing to negotiate with California on mileage standards. If you recall, the Trump administration rolled back Obama era standards for the 2022-25 model years because they were deemed too aggressive.

California disagreed. State officials immediately declared they were ready to fight the administration and take this thing to court. And it wouldn't be just California. Twelve other states also follow California's mileage requirements. The ultimate goal for Trump and crew is to have one uniform industry standard for all 50 states, thus making things easier for automakers to do business. So basically what we're seeing happen is a push by these major automakers for the White House to negotiate rather than fight with California. And yes, even automakers acknowledge that climate change is real. It's long past due for those in power to do so as well.