You may have heard of the “Cash for Clunkers” car allowance rebate system recently set up by the government: bring in you clunker and receive $4,500 dollars from towards your next car, which must meet government-approved mileage standards. The goal of the “Cash for Clunkers” initiative is partially to re-invigorate the car industry, by coaxing buyers into purchasing new cars, hence keeping or creating jobs in auto factories. Part of the incentive behind this bill is also to reduce emissions, as well as dependence on oil imports. Recent signs have been positive; more people have been buying cars in the past few weeks, and an employment report released this past Friday showed a reduction in job losses. However, doubts about the bill remain. Environmentalists wonder whether the mileage changes will result in significant enough reduction in pollution, and government officials worry whether it will continue to bring real change to the job market. Proponents of “Cash for Clunkers” are optimistic, however, and are pushing for an extension of the bill. To learn more about the debate, check out the ProPublica article here. If you’re interested in turning your clunker in for cash, see the government website here for details.