...If you pay dues to AAA, that is. Part of that money goes to pay lobbyists to work against your best interests, and advocate for lower gas mileage.

According to a Harpers Magazine story quoted at Autoblog Green, AAA has designs on your clean green future.

"A frequent target of the group's Washington office has been federal environmental laws. In 1999, AAA opposed new rules that required cleaner-burning exhaust systems for cars, trucks, and SUVs, and two years prior assailed an EPA proposal requiring states to reduce levels of smog and soot. In 1990, AAA even fought the strengthening of the Clean Air Act - a measure supported by three fourths of Americans - on the grounds that it would limit the 'personal mobility' of motorists."

How to stop this lobbying for a polluted world? Try looking elsewhere for your roadside assistance. Several green startups are competing against AAA, promising to spend your dues on all the goodies that come with AAA membership, like roadside assistance, and none of the "baddies" like lobbying efforts against the Clean Air Act. 

In fairness to AAA, though, look at this lobbying in historical context. The American Automobile Association was originally created in 1901 by 1,000 auto enthusiasts demanding a response to the lack of highways suitable for their marvelous new driving machines. Today, we see that changes are needed to design a sustainable world, but back then, this was progressive thinking. And they do valuable work in providing research and much data related to driving and the automobile. Furthermore, State AAs can certainly be greener as the California State AA showed in partnering with CalCars in the Greenlight Initiative last year.