“The author has a vision for the future of the automobile. It's not exactly the flying car of the future, but almost, as it comes with smartphone-synced scheduling, zero-emissions technology, and the ability to park itself. . . . Astute . . . Oge knows her stuff.” —Kirkus Reviews
“Enlightening . . . With her firsthand knowledge of the designs and methods the auto industry is using to achieve this milestone, Oge is the perfect person to preview the type of vehicles we will likely be driving over the next several decades. . . . Readers tired of traffic gridlock and expensive gas bills will enjoy this vision of hack-proof, computer-driven, self-parking cars, along with Oge’s optimism about halting global warming.”—Booklist
"Let's get straight to the dirt: Margo Oge knows where the bodies are buried . . . [and makes] astonishing revelations about exactly how good policy based on science in thwarted by political hacks."—Electric Car Online
“Under your tireless leadership we have realized significant environmental achievements in the transportation sector . . . finalizing the most aggressive efficiency standards for our cars and truck out to model year 2025. . . . You have inspired and challenged with equal measure.” —President Barack Obama
"Margo tells the incredible story of how California and then Washington were able to mandate much cleaner cars and light trucks. This is the story of how hard it is to combat climate change—and also how imaginative and determined leaders can get it done." —Governor Jerry Brown
"Margo Oge describes the astounding transformation of cars and trucks in America—cutting pollution by more than 97 percent, and greenhouse gases by more than half—and shows the way to complete this job. It is a compelling story and a great read." —Hal Harvey, CEO of Energy Innovation
“Driving the Future is a testament to the progress that is possible when committed public servants are allowed to follow the scientific evidence where it leads and to envision and then execute ambitious plans for a better technological and environmental future.” —Lisa Heinzerling, Justice William J. Brennan, Jr. Professor of Law, Georgetown University Law Center
"Margo Oge provides a riveting insider’s account of the people, science, politics, and technologies behind an improbable victory in the battle against global warming. Based on her understanding of how regulation can drive innovation, she depicts a future in which cleaner, lighter, smarter cars will become tools in the fight against climate change rather than contribute to it. Every citizen should read her book and feel proud of what we can accomplish together." —Lisa Jackson, EPA administrator under President Barack Obama
“Drawing upon her experience as an architect of game-changing fuel economy standards, Margo Oge gives us a roadmap to a future world of better and cleaner cars, healthier air, reduced geopolitical conflict, and stronger communities. If we get there, it will be because of visionaries such as Oge.” —Ken Kimmel, president, Union of Concerned Scientists
"Margo and her team at the EPA helped craft far-reaching GHG and fuel economy standards for the US that are accelerating the adoption of future automotive technologies like plug-in electric vehicles and fuel cell vehicles. Margo has the credibility and the record for convincingly discussing a carbon free future in her book, a vision we share." —Ulrich Kranz, BMW, senior vice president, Product Line i
"Driving the Future is a real-world story about the policy visionaries, business leaders, and dedicated citizens who are spurring the clean energy revolution—and ushering in a new era of prosperity for our nation and the world." —Fred Krupp, president, Environmental Defense Fund
“Margo has given us a fascinating insider’s view of regulatory development and a framework for collaborative rulemaking that literally changed the face—and tailpipes—of an industry, and a thoughtful look forward to future opportunities.” —Tom Linebarger, chairman and CEO of Cummins Inc.
“Driving the Future is the story of a dramatic success in a key battle in the fight against global warming—improving the environmental performance of vehicle fleets—with a lucid explanation of how to bridge science and public policy. Reading the book is as pleasant as having a talk with a good friend, and as informative as a full course in public policy.” —Mario J. Molina, PhD, professor at the University of California, San Diego, and winner of the 1995 Nobel Prize in Chemistry for his role in elucidating the threat to the earth’s ozone layer from chlorofluorocarbon gases
"It's a great story: an insider's account of the unprecedented collaboration of politicians, regulators, and industry that created the world's first standards for low-carbon vehicles and a practical guide to steps that all of us—including consumers—must take to create a global market for vehicles that can take us where we want to go while dodging the worst effects of climate change." —Mary Nichols, chairman of the California Air Resources Board
"Five stars to Margo Oge! She may be a veteran regulator, but she also has the vision thing, the broad historical and conceptual perspective that made her one of EPA's stars in the historic achievement of cleaner cars and in the cause of averting climate change. Not to mention that her writing is fluid, engaging, and makes a complex story hard to put down." —William Reilly, EPA administrator under President George H. W. Bush
"This book should be a must-read for anyone who wants to know how the regulatory process actually works. Margo Oge provides a compelling insider's account about the making of President Obama's landmark vehicle emission rules. She describes how she and her dedicated team at EPA fought political interference under the Bush Administration, formed a crucial partnership with innovative California regulators, and found key allies within the new Obama team."—Congressman Henry Waxman
“Driving the Future describes a success story in bridging science and regulation and provides a creative road map for future cleaner cars. It offers very valuable lessons for building a future blue sky and low carbon society in China and other developing countries. Thanks, Margo Oge!”—Kebin He, dean, School of Environment, Tsinghua University, China
04/15/2015
Oge, a 32-year veteran of the Environmental Protection Agency (now retired), was a key player in the Obama administration's 2012 deal with automakers to double fleetwide fuel efficiency to 54.5 mpg and halve emissions by 2025. This was no small feat: in fact, when The Economist recently ranked carbon-mitigation efforts across the globe, these standards were among the top five (behind, for example, the Montreal protocol to limit CFCs, which was first). The heart of the book is Part 2: "The Big Deal." Here Oge provides a detailed account of how the historic regulation was forged, the tortuous back and forth among auto companies, engineers, and government officials, the compromises struck, and the eventual agreement signed. At times it reads like a transcription of the author's diary, with quoted conversations (at one point she even tells us what one of the players is thinking), and while this lends veracity to the text, it also makes for a rather plodding narrative. VERDICT Environmental policy wonks will enjoy getting the inside story of a bureaucrat's signature achievement. Car guys, however, will be disappointed, as there is probably not much here that they haven't already read about future auto technology in Popular Science or Popular Mechanics.—Robert Eagan, Windsor P.L., Ont.
2015-02-04
Environmental Protection Agency insider Oge meticulously recounts the political battles that have cleared the way for more intelligent, fuel-efficient transportation.The author has a vision for the future of the automobile. It's not exactly the flying car of the future, but almost, as it comes with smartphone-synced scheduling, zero-emissions technology and the ability to park itself. The highly autonomous vehicles she describes in the opening of her astute, if not always captivating, memoir may seem like a pipe dream, but Oge knows her stuff. She is the former director of the Office of Transportation and Air Quality at the EPA, where she worked for more than 30 years. The information she presents is highly detailed and carries the authority of a woman who has fought diligently and consistently for each step forward on the efficiency regulations she sees as a crucial part of our nation's response to climate change. Readers may expect some degree of drama, as Oge chronicles her battles with climate science deniers, administrative changes of heart, and the automobile and oil industries. Instead, the author offers a more measured account of the meetings, calls, emails and political wrangling behind each improvement her team was able to push through. Her frustration is clear, but this is not an emotional memoir; it's about policy, and it's thorough enough to serve as a course in how modern government really works. Anecdotes and asides occasionally add a personal tone to the writing—e.g., when Oge bought a Toyota Prius and was stunned by the difference between its stated miles per gallon (calculated by her own agency) and the much lower on-the-street reality. Soon enough, though, she was back to budget meetings and court hearings—all of them important but without much emotional charge to engage readers. An exhaustive, occasionally exhausting look at the long and winding road to a smart car future.
