California sues car manufacturers

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Look - we won't stop burning petrolium for fuel until we run out of it, plain and simple. It's too cheap, it's too prevelant, and the oil companies have too much influence. Instead of hoping for global legislative change that will never pass or be stripped to the point of being meaningless (Kyoto sound familiar?) what you would probably be better off rooting for is for people to use MORE gas.

You heard me right. I used to think it was a bad thing when I saw some meathead schmuck driving down the street in gas guzzling SUV (like the way-too-popular H2), but now I applaud them. Because I know now that hoping these people will somehow wake up and become more sensible is an exercise in futility. The best thing for our economy, the science of alternative fuels, and the cleanness of the environment is for the world to RUN OUT of gas, much sooner than later. As it does, the cost of gas will continue to rise sharply, and people will begin to look elsewhere for their energy needs - and not a minute sooner. That's the only way that clean technologies (which have existed for years, mind you) will ever see the light of day. Environmental progress has been stunted by the world's oil companies - and once it's gone, so will be their influence over everything.

When you get a chance, go see Who Killed the Electric Car.

/end cynical a$$hole

 

Stupid lawsuit suing somebody based on recently discovered information. "Your business is too succesful... give us some money!"

California should simply charge more tax on less efficient and less clean cars rather than slapping a company with a massive fine.

 

Public opinion can be influenced, but until quite recently there hasn't been much muscle behind environmentalists and some instances fighting actively for environmental values have given the cause a bad reputation by doing demonstrations and that sort of thing. Stupid tree-hugging hippies.

Now it's coming apparent that environment should be preserved, not because of some silly tree-spirits or because animals are so cute, but because neglecting the environment costs a lot of money to the common people and to the government and eventually to the industry as well. Money speaks with a language that everybody in the west understands.

@DR: great link, thanks