FINAL ENTRY - August 14, 2003


A significant fuel economy increase for all vehicles, hybrid fleet purchases by governments, tax incentives for hybrids, and hydrogen fuel cell and hydrogen infrastructure R&D -- how do such policies relate to Jesus' teaching to love your neighbor? That's what we helped Administration officials and Congressional offices understand in meetings held between mid-July and mid-August as our conclusion to the WWJDrive Tour. We let them know that everywhere we went on the Tour people were in favor of such efforts to reduce the air and global warming pollution coming out of our tailpipes, and reduce our dependence on foreign oil from unstable regions. We also gave them a packet of 21 newspaper stories from the Tour.

When I was setting up one of the meetings, an official asked, "What does faith have to do with fuel economy?" "That's exactly why we want to have a meeting, to explain how faith relates to increasing fuel economy and pollution reduction."

One of the senior Department of Energy officials himself had a hybrid electric Toyota Prius (the same car that Kara and I have and drove on the Tour). He said he loved the car, and we swapped stories.

Our major focus was on the Administration/Executive Branch. We ended up meeting with major players and important staff of three of the four key Administration/Executive Branch offices responsible for fuel economy: the Department of Energy; the Office of Management and Budget (approves all regulations); and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (responsible for promulgating regulations concerning fuel economy increases.) (I have not been successful yet in arranging a meeting with the Council on Environmental Quality or CEQ, but will keep trying.) We also met with staff for Majority Leader Frist, and Senators McCain and Pryor.

In every meeting I used our materials to help officials and staff understand how Jesus' teaching to love your neighbor included improving our gas mileage and reducing our pollution, because these are related to health impacts, global warming's threat to the poor, and our oil dependence. We encouraged them to be bold in addressing these problems.

Many of the meetings went on longer than scheduled - always a good sign. While our message was new to most, once they heard it they quickly grasped its relevance and power.

That all of these DC meetings have gone so well, and that the Tour itself went well and has been so successful -- I attribute this to the Lord's help and your prayers.

I ask that you continue to pray for the WWJDrive campaign and our efforts to help folks understand how we can all love our neighbors through our transportation choices.

Your brother in Christ,

Jim Ball