Hey, take it easy on Bill Ford!
Activist hysteria?
Jon Entine takes a balanced look at the environmental attacks on Bill Ford Jr in an essay that acknowledges Ford's crucial role as chief executive of one of America's largest corporations. Instead of taking the narrow-minded view that Ford sold out his environmental convictions by favoring flex-fuel vehicles over hybrids, Entine considers the company's other green credentials. He points to the Volvo fuel economy research center and another project to build the next-generation of bioethanol-fuel vehicles.
The environmentalists once adored Ford, picking his company as the car industry's green leader ahead of
Ford's role in saving thousands of company jobs is just as important as improving fuel economy and reducing emissions. Thankfully there are critics who can see the forest, not just the treehuggers.
[Source: Ethical Corporation]
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Jorge Santos 8:59PM (9/02/2006)
how sad and incompetent is this !!!!!!
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Alternative Energy Blog 4:57AM (9/03/2006)
A balanced look?
He sounds about as balanced as those CO2 is good for you ads from the Competitive Enterprise Institute.
A few quotes with my comments:
"the second generation flex cars, which use cellulose-based ethanol... fuels, promise to cut carbon dioxide emissions in half."
Cellulose based ethanol is still in the experimental stage. Where does he get the 50% reduction in CO2 figure from?
"No-one anticipated oil prices soaring 150%."
Really? Not even all those investment banks predicting peak oil?
"Ford's role in saving thousands of company jobs is just as important as improving fuel economy and reducing emissions."
So as long as it keeps people employed that's what counts? It's funny Toyota manages to make a profit selling hybrids. However the author trots out the old myth that Toyota loses money on every Prius sold. For a fellow of the American Enterprise Institute he shows a complete misunderstanding of what a "loss leader" is. A loss leader is where a supermarket sells milk at a loss to get you into the store to spend lots more money on other items. I think the number of people who pick up a Prius, then think "oh I'll get a Lexus LS600h to go with that" is very close to zero.
James
Alternative Energy Blog
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