Comments on: “A Good Day for Democracy” http://priceofoil.org/2008/09/26/%e2%80%9ca-good-day-for-democracy%e2%80%9d/ Oil Change International campaigns to expose the true costs of oil and facilitate the coming transition towards clean energy. We are dedicated to identifying and overcoming political barriers to that transition. Fri, 09 Jan 2009 04:41:03 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.5 By: Peter K http://priceofoil.org/2008/09/26/%e2%80%9ca-good-day-for-democracy%e2%80%9d/#comment-622572 Peter K Fri, 26 Sep 2008 10:00:28 +0000 http://priceofoil.org/?p=3161#comment-622572 Recently, while on holiday, I met an engine designer from one of the major German car manufacturers and he openly said people would need to change their behaviour rather than there being massive advances in engine design. He was apparently working on the dynamics of engines in conjunction with electric motors (which are still not entirely understood apparently). The attitude of older Germans is 'I've worked hard, so I deserve a car with a powerful engine', which of course is folly. On paper it seems easier to design a new engine than get people to change their minds, but of course there is no new engine. As a result my German engine designer had a sense of mission about 'what needs to be done' about climate change. It's surprising these companies have shown 'surprise'. Oh, did you see Robert Reich's blog? "Meanwhile, when no one was looking, American automakers are on the way to getting their own sweetheart deal from Congress -- billions, ostensibly to convert to more fuel-efficient cars. On a much smaller scale, this bailout is almost as outrageuos as Wall Street's. Detroit has known for years that it would eventually have to create fuel-efficient cars, but it kept producing SUVs and trucks because that was where the profits were. Japanese automakers in the US did the right thing, took the risk, made the investments in fuel-efficient technologies. But they're not getting bailed out." http://robertreich.blogspot.com/2008/09/deal.html Recently, while on holiday, I met an engine designer from one of the major German car manufacturers and he openly said people would need to change their behaviour rather than there being massive advances in engine design. He was apparently working on the dynamics of engines in conjunction with electric motors (which are still not entirely understood apparently). The attitude of older Germans is ‘I’ve worked hard, so I deserve a car with a powerful engine’, which of course is folly. On paper it seems easier to design a new engine than get people to change their minds, but of course there is no new engine. As a result my German engine designer had a sense of mission about ‘what needs to be done’ about climate change. It’s surprising these companies have shown ’surprise’.

Oh, did you see Robert Reich’s blog?

“Meanwhile, when no one was looking, American automakers are on the way to getting their own sweetheart deal from Congress — billions, ostensibly to convert to more fuel-efficient cars. On a much smaller scale, this bailout is almost as outrageuos as Wall Street’s. Detroit has known for years that it would eventually have to create fuel-efficient cars, but it kept producing SUVs and trucks because that was where the profits were. Japanese automakers in the US did the right thing, took the risk, made the investments in fuel-efficient technologies. But they’re not getting bailed out.”

http://robertreich.blogspot.com/2008/09/deal.html

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