Think the world's largest automaker is feeling the heat yet?

NRDC joined eight other groups in launching a big campaign to persuade Toyota to shift their position on policy by splitting from GM and others who oppose a reasonable Senate bill which would boost auto fuel-efficiency to 35 miles-per-gallon (mpg) in 2020. And there's even an MSM component, a full-page ad in USA Today.

The time for leadership on this issue is now, as our friend David Sandalow of the Brookings Institution discusses in his new book about what the next President could to achieve "Freedom from Oil" (the book's title).

Sandalow calls not only for a boost in fuel economy standards but also for a quid pro quo where automakers that offer oil-saving technology would receive federal aid to defray the growing health care expenses of their workers. This is exactly the kind of deal others have called for in the past, including yours truly. In fact, the energy bill pending in Congress also contains some aid for automakers seeking to retool their factories to build more efficient cars!

To tell Toyota, loud and clear, to back a 35 mpg efficiency standard by 2020, click here.