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With fuel prices at record levels and predicted to keep rising, you’d think that new European proposals to stem drivers’ costs and reduce emissions would be welcomed by all. But major car companies like VW are opposing these laws – so today we released a new report detailing how increasing efficiency will benefit both the public and the climate.

Earlier this week, VW announced some improvements to its new cars that will reduce emissions by enough to beat existing European targets. It's not the success we're looking for – we're still a long way from that – but there's no doubt about it: a massive part of this is down to half a million Jedi demanding that VW lives up to the green image it paints for itself.

In short, the rebellion is strong and it's working!

VW has launched its latest advert ahead of the US Super Bowl this weekend.

The advert is a follow-up to last year’s Little Darth one which we lampooned to reveal the Dark Side of VW’s environmental claims. It still riffs on a Star Wars theme and throws in a cute dog for good measure, but is there any mention of supporting ambitious climate laws?

Our VW campaign has passed a significant milestone, as the Jedi ranks swell to over 500,000. That's an incredible half a million people demanding that Volkswagen gets behind the sort of climate laws we need to save our planet.

So thank you for signing up, recruiting your friends and keeping up the pressure on VW - it's been absolutely amazing.

Last week, the government gave the thumbs-up to the first phase of the new high-speed rail network (aka HS2). Since then, debate between those for and against has filled the media including a piece in the Mail claiming Greenpeace is opposed to the project. We're not of course, but it does need correcting.

VW has been ignoring our requests for a meeting, so we've paid a visit to its exhibition stand at the Brussels Motor Show.

Or, to be more precise, dozens of polar bears (including the majestic Paula Bear) have invaded the prestigious Autosalon 2012 event to protest about the impact that Volkswagen and the rest of the car industry is having on our climate and the Arctic.

The phalanx of stormtroopers we sent to the hush-hush car lobby meeting today have certainly had an effect. Even though it seems we were expected, their presence created a disturbance in the Force for the car industry bosses who had to walk past them, although for some it was all too much.