The fuel efficiency of automobiles has become a topic of much discussion in recent years in the United States. This is largely due to the environmental devastation caused by fuel emissions, but also to rising fuel costs. Making fuel-efficient cars not only saves consumers money, but will also significantly reduce pollution caused by emissions. Today, automakers are making huge efforts to make their cars more fuel efficient, both to meet government regulations and to make their car more attractive to the consumer. In the late 1900s, fuel efficiency received little attention from automobile manufacturers. Instead, they competed with each other by releasing larger, more powerful vehicles every year, and in doing so, they sacrificed fuel efficiency because each new vehicle they built got fewer miles per gallon. Americans craved bigger, more powerful cars, so to satisfy car buyers, that's what automakers built (Surowiecki 25). However, “polls show that, given the choice, about three-quarters of them vote for dramatic increases in fuel economy standards” (Surowiecki 25). Since there were no government-established fuel economy standards until 1975, the fuel efficiency of automobiles has steadily declined. In the early 1970s, the average American vehicle got less than 13 miles per gallon. However, in 1973, the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries imposed an embargo on all oil sent to the United States in retaliation for American support for Israel during the Six-Day War. The long lines and gas rationing caused by this embargo made many Americans realize how dependent they were on foreign oil. The idea that they were counting on... middle of paper ...... spread through the atmosphere. Works Cited Barry, Patrick. “Reducing fuel before injection increases efficiency.” Science News 174.9 (2008): 9. Academic Research Premier. Internet. November 26, 2011. Bezdek, Roger H. and Robert M. Wendling. “Energy efficiency and economy”. American Scientist 93.2 (2005): 132-139. Premier Academic Research. Internet. November 26, 2011.Knight, Ben. “Better mileage now.” Scientific American 302.2 (2010): 50-55. Premier Academic Research. Internet. November 26, 2011Murray, Charles J. "Automakers Find New Ways to Improve Efficiency." Design News 66.2 (2011): 28-32. Premier Academic Research. Internet. November 26, 2011. Romm, Joseph J. and Andrew A. Frank. “Hybrid vehicles are gaining traction.” Scientific American 294.4 (2006): 72-79. Premier Academic Research. Internet. November 26, 2011. Surowiecki, James. “Fuel for thought.” New Yorker 83.20 (2007): 25. Academic Research Premier. Internet. November 21. 2011