Greenwash of the Week: Thanks for Nothing, GM

Bria and Robin are all over GM.

Category:

Nonprofits & Activism

Tags:

• ran
• environmentalism
• phev
• gm
• plugin
• hybrid
• tahoe
• chevy
• greenwash
• greenwashoftheweek
• malibu

[ferrarimanf355]

I just love the accusation of greenwash here, nevermind that the Volt will be put into production, most of GM's R&D is going to the Volt, and GM's dead serious on seeing it happen. But then again, the Greenpeace crowd will never get over the EV1. They should.

[RANVideo]

I think our official position on the Volt is "we'll believe it when we see it."

[ferrarimanf355]

You'll see it soon enough, since GM is apparently going to put most of their R&D money into the Volt.

I really hope that when the Volt does hit showrooms, that every enviromentalist who accused GM of greenwashing will go out and buy one. You guys can talk the talk, but can you guys walk the walk over to the Chevrolet dealership and encourage GM to make more of 'em? I truly hope so...

[RANVideo]

I would definitely want one, but they might be pricey ... anyhow there's no doubt that the Volt would be a positive development, but it remains to be seen how seriously they will go about producing and marketing it. And even more important is improving fleet efficiency (and at the very least not actively opposing regulatory action to fight climate change).

[frankodelic]

I quote Bob Lutz, GM's Vice Chairman of Product Development;

(global warming is a) "total crock of shit"

I don't expect we'll see much real progress coming from GM.

[RANVideo]

Yeah we're pretty familiar with their intransigence at this point.

[swajsofa]

Why do you look high, particularly the guy? I guess maybe you're just pandering to your target demographic.

[m3141592]

Quick note about stoner girl's ethanol claim; it's even worse than that. Taking the whole supply chain into account, it currently takes MORE fossil fuel per Kj to make ethanol than just using the fossil fuel in the first place.

[FermentingMadness]

Ethanol is readily available from non corn sources, notably Brazilian sugar cane. Both petroleum companies and a few corn farmers have ensured that we wont be getting cheaper, less polluting Brazilian ethanol by establishing a series of tariffs to deter its import.

[FermentingMadness]

...On another note though, GM is still attempting to combat any legislation that could be deemed a threat, as they still wish to continue building their poor familiar gas guzzlers. GM chief of research and development, Larry Burns, laments the decision to not invest in fuel efficient vehicles, If we could turn back the hands of time, we could have had the Chevy Volt 10 years earlier say Burns. Alas, GM with the approval of our own legislators has doomed itself. ...

[FermentingMadness]

...Worried Japanese automotive manufacturers sold hybrids shortly afterwards in order to be at the front of a new market which it feared GM was soon to dominate. If the US government did not continuously grant GM such favorable legislation the company may have actually been motivated to change. Despite what you think GM is actually attempting to produce and market the Chevy volt on a mass scale. ...

[FermentingMadness]

...Foreign automotive manufacturers in order to compete with such an obviously advantaged business-clique began to create efficient and typically superior vehicles to capture the American market. Japanese automotive manufacturers ironically began to offer fuel efficient hybrid vehicles in response to a relatively hollow gesture in the second half of the nineties where GM promised to create a line of hybrid vehicles (which it did not). ...

[FermentingMadness]

Do not expect much of GM; they are nothing more than a baby who refuses to be weaned. For years the US government has granted American automakers generous tax breaks, subsidies, and imposed tariffs and trade quotas upon foreign automotive manufacturers in their favor. US automakers have had no need to create more efficient vehicles since they have effectively reduced their potential competition. ...

[outlaw17ster]

watching all your greenwash videos, i see youve shut down "clean" coal, youve shut down Nuclear Power, youve shut down fossil fuels, youve shut flex fuels, and youve shut down biofuels. Why are you so anxious to spend your time researching faults in any potential solution. If you truly cared about the environment, wouldnt it make more spend all that time trying to come up with a practical solution to better the environment?

[Exileacid]

i'm sorry i happened to stumble on your nuclear video, and thought surely these idiot dont go round imposing thier opinions on people, that whole and that whole japanese hybrid car thing being effiecent is incorrect, if you cruise on the motorway at 70 in a hybrid you will get less miles to the gallon than if you where cruising in somethink like a bmw M3, because the hybrid petrol engine will struggle to give those speeds. where as the bm engine will run at much lower pace and burn less fuel