The Chukchi Sea off the northwest coast of Alaska is home to one of America's two populations of threatened polar bears and the only population of Pacific walrus. These great species of the Chukchi are losing their sea-ice habitat at an alarming rate, but that's not the only thing they have to worry about: Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar wants to let Big Oil drill in their home.

Every day our cars and trucks guzzle an eye-popping 378 million gallons of gasoline, spewing millions of tons of global warming pollution into the air. This accounts for about 40 percent of U.S. oil consumption, with freight trucks adding another 14 percent.

Saving oil in transportation is crucial for reducing our perilous foreign energy dependence and addressing the climate challenge. Improving vehicle technology also would keep our domestic auto industry competitive in a world where fuel efficiency has become a significant advantage in the global marketplace.