The Toyota FT-CH Electric Car at the Detroit Auto Show. Photo-Credit: Fabrizio Costantini for The New York Times
The number of reasons for us to find a more fuel efficient, or completely oil free automobile is growing on a daily basis. With rising gas prices everyone is looking for a way to ease some of the pressure off their wallets. According to a new report by the nonprofit Health Effects Institute, vehicle exhaust is a factor in growing health problems. (For more info on that check out the New York Times article: Report Links Vehicle Exhaust to Health Problems). So lets go ahead and add that to the list of reasons to switch fuel sources; along with climate change, the future of the economy, and according to the government national security.
Im not going to argue any of those points, whether you agree or not is fine. The fact of the matter is auto manufacturers are spending more time, effort, and money on hybrid and electric technology. There is even a new company in the market that is creating a car that runs on air and magnets.
Ever wonder where all the stuff you own comes from? Where it goes when your done with it? How is it so cheap? Why are companies shipping factories over seas?
Yesterday the Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd took the first big steps in the right direction by calling out climate change deniers. According to MooingChoir over at The Daily Kos “The Prime Minister has had enough of the parallel obstructionism in the US and Australia. His critique doesn’t just extend to Australia. He also calls out prominent US Republicans.” You can read the rest of MooinChoir’s article: Smack! Australian Prime Minister calls out US Republican Climate Deniers for more information on the actual details.
Here are some highlights from what the Prime Minister had to say:
The challenge we face, and others around the world face, is to build momentum and overcome domestic political constraints.
The truth is this is hard, because the climate change skeptics, the climate change deniers, the opponents of climate change action are active in every country.
They are a minority. They are powerful. And invariably they are driven by vested interests.
Powerful enough to so far block domestic legislation in Australia, powerful enough to so far slow down the passage of legislation through the US Congress. And ultimately – by limiting the ambition of national climate change commitments – they are powerful enough to threaten a deal on global climate change both in Copenhagen and beyond.
