Let’s Be Frank About Climate Change
By Mike Robinson
Vice President, Environment, Energy and Safety Policy
You may have noticed today is Blog Action Day 2009, and the focus for thousands of bloggers around the world is to engage people in a frank discussion about climate change – something you probably wouldn’t expect us to do. But like we continuously ask of you, we’re joining the conversation to help raise awareness on this important issue, and more importantly, what we’re doing to be part of the solution. Quite frankly, this is an issue that affects all of us, and our company as well as our industry has a responsibility to lead – we think we’re up to the challenge.
We’re addressing climate change on many fronts, especially as it relates to vehicle and engine technology. This includes expanding these technologies to provide turbocharging, active fuel management and six-speed transmissions across our lineup, which improves the efficiency of our traditional internal combustion engines and reduces the environmental impact of our fleet today. Currently, our four vehicle brands offer 13 models that achieve at least 30 mpg (highway) or better. In the years ahead, we will do even better! And as we look to the future of personal transportation and where we’re headed, electrically-driven vehicles will continue to play an increasingly important role in our efforts to increase energy diversity and further improve our emissions performance. The Chevrolet Volt that will launch next year is our poster child for this evolution, but we’ll continue to look to conventional hybrid and plug-in hybrid electric vehicles to play a part, as well as electrically-driven vehicles powered by hydrogen fuel cells that create zero greenhouse gas emissions. There will be no single technology solution to CO2 reduction in vehicles – it will take multiple pathways and we’re working on them.
While the vehicle normally steals the spotlight when it comes to talk about emissions, eventually we hope to take the vehicle out of the equation and we’re aiming to do the same with our manufacturing facilities. We’ve made great progress in reducing the emissions impact of our plants around the world, but we also can and will do more. In fact, within the last few years our energy savings have translated into greenhouse gas emissions reductions of nearly 3 million metric tons, and we’ve reduced our energy usage overall. We are also one of the leading manufacturers using renewable energy, deriving energy for manufacturing operations from solar, hydro and landfill gas resources. This will continue.
Now, unfortunately I know some of you still have the impression that GM only builds gas-guzzling trucks and SUVs and are wondering why we are even entering the discussion on climate change – but I hope to help change that perception with facts. When we do build trucks and SUVs, they are built in facilities that are reducing their overall energy usage every year while also utilizing cleaner, renewable energy sources. Plus, those same trucks and SUVs have class leading fuel economy. And we’re expanding our lineup of fuel efficient cars and crossovers as well with the introduction of the Chevy Equinox, GMC Terrain and upcoming Chevy Cruze among others.
We’re committed to doing more while using less as evidenced by our 55 landfill-free facilities across the globe, and we will take issues like climate change head on. If you’re skeptical of our commitment, that’s ok – we welcome the chance to engage with you on this. Blog Action 2009 allows us to bring a unique perspective to the table, and I know I’ll be checking out the conversation here and around the Web today – I encourage anyone else interested in climate change to do the same. And by the way, whatever vehicle you happen to drive today, please do the simple things to help fuel economy such as keeping the tires inflated properly and running at appropriate speeds.
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GM’s efforts to be good stewarts of the environment show how far they’ve come.
Improved mileage on vehicles, alternate propulsion technologies, improved aerodynamics and material selection and of course the recycling of old cars to make new ones are all very encouraging.
Those old emission spewing factories have been equipped with scrubbers, improved waste water treatment and additional incremental improvements to make them “greener”. A lot of this was driven by the EPA Regulations introduced in the 70’s when we were bombarded by awareness campaigns on how we’re damaging the enviroment. The Clean Air and Water Acts were a result of those succesful campaigns by Enviromental Groups and we, as citizens of this country have benefitted greatly by reducing the risks of poor pollution standards. We’re living in a cleaner and healthier enviroment today which is good for us and our children.
Global Warming is the next phase of those earlier enviromental movements and we’re going to continue seeing new laws passed that will influence our behaviors.
The notion of Global Warming is hotly debated. Is it true? If yes, how bad is it? ETC ETC.
We had the “hottest” year on record recently (by NOAA records) and those who live in the northern states had a pretty rough winter last year. It was one of the coldest on record. Therefore, I am not complete sold on the concept, but do realize that WHEN this planet decides to get rid of a species, it does so with little regard or concern. Millions of species have disappeared in the past, and millions more will go in the future. Humans are on that list of course. It’s unavoidable, so all we can do is make the best use of what we have been afforded and use these precius resources as wisely as possible.
We’re doing better as a nation overall, but there are pardoxes that need to be reviewed as well.
Did we merely move our pollution problems over seas to China and other countries with less regulation requirements? China, as a nation, is running far greater health risks to their population than we ever had? In 20 years, how many cancer cases will pop up there due to poor living standards? I don’t believe the US ever signed the Kyoto Accord and am pretty certain China doesn’t give too much a hoot either.
GM is producing better fuel efficient cars, yet caters to the “lead foots” by soliciting the car enthusiasts to go to Monticello and race the 556 HP Caddy. I know GM participates in the Sun Racer Program, but is this being a good stewart of those precious resources? It certainly shows “balance”, but is it being honest?
Tobacco companies put filters on cigarettes to make them healthier, but we have over 500,000 cases of lung related problems every year. If GM is marketing being Lean and Green, then some disclaimers may have to be included too.
I am not a tree hugger by any standards, but use my resources as wisely as I can. After all, I have to pay for them at some point, so it’s a financial “thing” for me first and and enviromental “thing” second.
Just my 2 cents….
GM is producing better fuel efficient cars, yet caters to the “lead foots” by soliciting the car enthusiasts to go to Monticello and race the 556 HP Caddy.
Excellent point Mike. Thanks for pointing that out.
Ah yes, the typical “pick apart someones message and only bring up the ones you agree with”.
Did you notice even he mentioned that GM participates in solar powered competitions, and also leads in flex fuel vehicles (yes, I know corn based ethanol isn’t a good idea (since I know you’ll bring that up), but cellulosic I think it going to be huge if we can make it in large enough quantities) and is a leader in recycling, a leader in hydrogen propulsion, and has one of the best hybrid systems out on the market?
Mike’s post showed balance, but of course you only show one side.
As for the CTS-V compeition, it’s one day of racing that burns .00000000001% of the fuel that will be comsumed on that day. Because you disapprove of that, I assume you dislike all racing series, pleasure flying, plesure boating, and anything else that doesn’t directly lead to advancing society as a whole.
I wasn’t picking apart his message. I was agreeing with a salient point he made. Why does that bother you?
Excellent post! I’m really optimistic and hopeful for GM’s future. Thank you all for doing such a wonderful job turning around the company–I can’t wait to see what you bring to the table next.
…how far GM has progressed in mpg improvements
2010 Cadillac CTS (since that’s been the recent hype) best combo: 18 city/ 27 highway compared to 2000 Cadillac Catera (closest thing in the stabe for size, sorry) which was only 16/23 or a 1990 Seville at 15/25. Yes, that’s improvement over ten years, but in another ten , at present rate of improvement, 18/29 will not be enough.
Or, how about we look at value leader, Chevy Aveo for 2010: 27/35 and a 2000 Metro with equivalent engine at 31/38 and even available at 32/41. At this rate the 2020 Aveo-class vehicle from GM will have dropped to 23/32 mpg – way to go, now that’s what we call progress out here in the heartland.
All kidding aside some caveats as we move partially away from our dependence on gasoline as fuel of choice.
1. clean diesel is as close as bluetec – if GM cannot afford to invest in their own solution they certainly can pay a royalty to purchase ready to run from others
2. odds are depending on where in US you live that recharging an EV from the grid uses coal, not natural gas, hydro or nuclear, the cleaner alternatives – why not bundle a $5000 housetop wind turbine with every Volt so that we can cut downour dependence on the grid.
3. without an enormous (I think we are looking at a cost equal to the Saturn V (a Chrysler product, IIRC) project) influx of cash to create an infrastructure the widespread use of hydrogen fuel cells will remain small and confined to cities – another option for we in the heartland is ablity to mak eour own hydrogen – really, New Holland is seriously looking at farm-based hydrogen generation for their prototype fuel cell tractor (first demonstration of HFC tractor was Allis-Chalmers 50 years ago in 1959 http://historywired.si.edu/object.cfm?ID=223
4. i still say skip the E-only phase of EV outside of city commuting and grocery-getting and give us a true full-time hybrid EV, one that runs 2 or 4 electric wheel motors powered by wire from a constant running generator coupled to a constant speed high efficiency liquid fueled engine.
The Chevrolet Volt that will launch next year is our poster child for this evolution…
Poster child? In most parts of the country*, the Chevy Volt will actually be coal-powered.
_______________________________
* Except for those parts of the country lucky enough to get their electricity from nuclear reactors. There one could say the Volt will be atom-powered.
Is that GM’s fault that the country uses coal for electricity?
Are you saying that no plug-in vehicles should be made (or only sold in areas that use renewable energy)?
Either way, using a plug in will reduce our dependancy on foriegn oil, and still probably reduces CO2, because the generators at coal powered plants can run more efficiently because they can operate at a constant RPM in the most efficient range.
And even wind and hydro electric generators aren’t perfect. What about the poor birds and fish that get killed by them everyday?
/ — Are you saying that no plug-in vehicles should be made (or only sold in areas that use renewable energy)? –/
That would certainly be an option worth considering if we truly wanted to get the full beneficial impact to the environment from BEVs.
Perhaps GM should consider selling Volts only in areas where the electricity comes from nukes, waterfalls, windmills, or solar panels. I doubt though that GM would be altruistic enough to agree to that without the appropriate subsidies and tax credits from the government.
The world needs something to worry about. Right now it thinks the world is getting hotter, when in fact it is getting cooler. No increase in the last 10 years. Record colds in many parts of the US. When will we learn we do not control the planet. The Planet and its companions, Sun, Moon Starts control the planet. So now we are being robbed of thousands personally and trillions worldwide for Al Gore and this fake science. You are in for a great surprise when you start seeing crop production drop because of the cold. Warmer earth friendlier earth. Everyone is going to be sorry we did not develop our oil and nat gas as well as building atomic power stations when we could.
RD
Richard,
You know what they say: “It always gets warmer after an Ice Age; that is until the next Ice Age.”
When the next Ice Age gets here, there will be nothing humans can do to stop it. That will really put Al Gore into a tizzy won’t it? Trying to stop the next Ice Age.
Excellent point. CO2 is a normal gas in the atmosphere, not a pollutant. If you lower the amount of CO2, the planet will get cooler. But wait, in the 1970’s, that is what the enviromentalists were espousing. That is why PCV valves, EGR valves, and catalytic converters were developed. The planet did not cool down and a new ice age didn’s develop. Now its Global warming (or climate change so you can hedge your bets) and suddenly CO2 is the enemy. Now Billions of dollars are wasted on technology that may or may not be needed. The chemicals in the hybrid batteries are hundereds of times more toxic than any CO2 emmision. Also to the earlier poster that talked about extinction, 99% of all species that have ever existed on this planet are extinct. Thats the way it goes.
That’s why they now call it “climate change”. It’s a win-win. No matter if it gets hotter or colder you’re bound to be right. It’s easy to predict the inevitable; I can guarantee you the climate will change.
GM can improve its environmental image with little or no cost except for the advertising dollars to get the message out that we are doing something. I recently called my township to see if we have a wind turbine zoning ordinance and found out we don’t. In fact, no such zoning exists in the entire county. I asked if we could create a wind ordinance and the township said yes. We now have a final draft that the planning commission is recommending for approval to the township board. The cost? Attend some research and meetings on my own time. Do I want a wind turbine? Today – No. When I buy a Volt – Yes.
GM can put together an advertising tie-in. Maybe someone in a Volt touring around pitching easy steps to a greener future. Don’t talk about global warming. Talk about zero carbon energy. Talk about the Volt. Maybe assemble example zoning ordinances and related research on the Volt website.
Dr. Steven Saunders is one of the world’s leading proponents for global warming. Al Gore has used him. In 1978 he was on the program “In Search of” with Leonard Nimoy and is quoted as saying that we were headed into an ice age. People will drink the kool aid – they just need someone to feed it to them.
I applaud GM for being progressive in working to lesson our dependence on foreign oil.
Mike – The market for the Cadillac CTS-V is extremely small. Auto manufacturers cater to their consumers. If someone has the money and wants to race – so what??? Toyota has been the poster child for green with the Prius – but they also couldn’t wait to jump into the large pickup market to make the big bucks. Their pickups do not get as good mpg as GM’s. So is Toyota being honest?
If someone has the money and wants to race – so what???
That’s right, so what? If someone has the money let them do whatever they want, no matter how irresponsible or the adverse effects they force upon the rest of us.
Gunnar,
Do you travel for pleasure? You know taking those road trips or plane rides cause CO2, and just because you have the money for trips, doesn’t mean you should force your CO2 onto someone that can’t afford to take trips.
See, it goes both ways.
…just because you have the money for trips, doesn’t mean you should force your CO2 onto someone that can’t afford to take trips.
Gee, you have a point there. We had better all become nesters and stay at home the rest of our lives.
I’m assuming your post was in jest, but you’re right I do have a point. According to your first post, we should never have any fun driving cars either. I was just pointing out that if you don’t want GM racing a car (for fun) that pollutes your air, then I don’t want you traveling (for fun) and polluting my air.
RD – You are exactly right. This whole global warming campaign, er climate change as it is now called is a hoax, a propaganda campaign. Past tyrants have known that to sow fear among the masses is the best way to destroy their freedom and control them. The earth has been getting colder, not warmer over the past ten years.
Carbon dioxide is not a pollutant. It is plant food. Without it we would not have life on this planet. It does not react in the atmosphere to form chemical compounds harmful to human respiration. Indeed it is what we exhale with every breath.
The earth has been both warmer and colder in the past. And all without the influence of man.
The earth has been both warmer and colder in the past. And all without the influence of man.
Todd,
You know what they say: “It always gets warmer after an Ice Age — until the next Ice Age.”
You know what would be fun? To watch Al Gore trying to stop the next Ice Age as a wall of glaciers bears down on us from Canada. We’d see how he’d feel about the polar bears once they start moving south to take refuge in Tennessee.
Do we live in the Twilight Zone? Better engine efficiency is great, but saddling the planet with huge amounts of battery waste from hybrids is much more damaging than the negligible amount of impact that CO has on anything. There are no organic batteries right now and who cares how long a battery lasts when it WILL end up in a landfill or dump site sooner or later (ie: GMs claim to reuse the Volts battery in the home after removing it). The Prius owners and their ilk will no doubt be protesting the opening of toxic waste dump sites that will store the very waste from the cars that THEY chose to buy and drive! Explore for more fossil fuels, continue to increase efficiency and the world will be just fine, really.
PS: Whoever doesn’t like the CTS-V or any version of the Corvette has a mental disease. My 2009 Cobalt SS is a prime example of the power and efficiency that GM is capable of. What a hot rod!
John Griffin said:
“GM can put together an advertising tie-in”
Better yet John and GM – those micro turbines are nothing more than a automotive generator with wings attached. Seems to me that all generators function in the same basic manner except one is mounted under the hood, while the other is mounted on a 50 meter tower or something.
What’s the difference if a blue collar line worker puts a generator on a V8 or V6 motor or attaches that generator to some rotors, and some type of mounting aperture?
You don’t cross advertise, you make the things as part of the vehicle program. When it’s not charging the car, it’s net meetering to the grid and making the owner some extra money!
A little Yankee-doodle-ism is all that’s needed!
Josephine said:
If someone has the money and wants to race – so what??
Point taken J.
My thoughts are that the use of a commodity like petroleum should be used wisely. Last time I checked, we were out of dinosaurs that we can cook down to the black goo and refine for our pleasure. We are developing alternatives though and regardless, we SHOULD use them wisely too.
If the CTS gets 20 mpg with normal acceloration, then some Surgeon Generals Warning stating that mass acceloration by stomping the gas peddle will result in less than ideal fuel efficiency may be appropriate – even if you’re flying along at over a 150 miles per hour. I’m sure it’s thrilling, but so is Paragliding, Kite Boarding, Surfing and other sports (all using natural energy) . For that matter, so is setting a hook in a good sized fish and a heck of a lot less noisy I suspect.
The fact that many car enthusists will jump in their machines and squeel the tires and race down some pretty famous boulevards and race tracks for fun is as American as Base Ball-Hot Dogs-Apple Pie and Chevrolet ( 1 year of advertising pays off). Furthermore, tracks are the proving ground for many automakers, but inviting someone to race an $85,000 car is a pretty limited marketing campaign if you ask me. How about having them race Cobalts instead and reach a bigger audience? The Volt can race in next years Isle of Man “E-Race” (normally for motorcycles) if GM wishes to compete there. It’s all electric!
GM should be farther ahead in high efficiency vehicles than it is. This company has a history of fighting increased CAFE standards, and starting then killing the EV revolution. I watched “Who Killed the Electric Car”, and although it didn’t really show GM’s side of the argument, it seems that this company had an opportunity to have a history making impact on the American automobile, but decided to just crush the hard work and dreams of many workers and customers. Are we really a different company now?
All car manufacturers are making electric cars for the market……..
Will GM LEAD, FOLLOW, or GET OUT OF THE WAY
It sounds like NIssan is ready to LEAD.
It seems that the planet has actually been cooling down since about 1999. Al Gore’s speeches seem to be full of factually incorrect information. If there actually is global warming, he is doing the the whole cause a dis-service when he can’t be honest. Over the last couple of years, around here, the temperatures have been 2-8 degrees below normal. Now, I know lthat two years aren’t much in the scheme of things, but it seems a little hard to believe that 3500 miles north of here that everything in sight is melting. It reminds me of the huge Bre-ex Busang gold strike that wasn’t. All the information is far far away where not many of us ever get to go to see for ourselves. Then, there is all the money to be made with the global warming cause. There just seem to be far too many fishy things going on to get a real grasp on what is actually happening.
As the economy comes out of it’s near collapse into a depression and begins to expand where will fuel prices go? Prices are now in the $80 range and projected to increase as the economy worldwide gets better.
WIll an increase in the price of fuel take such a bite out of consumers wallets that the family budget will be stretched beyond what they can handle? Could GM help consumers by building high milage vehicles?
WIll GM be ready will the fuel efficient flex fuel vehicles that will help to reduce the cost of fuel to consumers? For too long GM has fought fuel efficiency standards and now you find yourself playing catch up. GM should have picked up a larger portion of the Cash for Clunkers sales. Too bad you did not have more fuel efficient cars to offer to consumers.
Will GM start selling small flex fuel vehicles? When the price of oil begins to creep up it would be nice to have a choice at the pump.
Yes, let’s be frank about global warming . . .
IT ISN”T OCCURRING, at least on Earth.
The latest data show that the Earths temperate has fallen for the past decade.
Do most scientists now agree “global warming is a crock?” It would appear so.
More than 31,000 scientists have signed a petition begun by Dr. Frederick Seitz, past President of the National Academy of Sciences which completely REJECTS the theory of global warming:
“We urge the United States government to reject the global warming agreement that was written in Kyoto, Japan in December, [sic] 1997, and any other similar proposals. The proposed limits on greenhouse gases would harm the environment, hinder the advance of science and technology, and damage the health and welfare of mankind.
There is no convincing scientific evidence that human release of carbon dioxide, methane, or other greenhouse gasses is causing or will, in the foreseeable future, cause catastrophic heating of the Earth’s atmosphere and disruption of the Earth’s climate. Moreover, there is substantial scientific evidence that increases in atmospheric carbon dioxide produce many beneficial effects upon the natural plant and animal environments of the Earth.”
Link:
http://www.petitionproject.org/
Of course, Marxist-Leninist Communism is not new. It has been an underlying cause of many wars, recessions, and disinformation campaigns which attack Freedom and Free Enterprise.
CO2 is not pollution, its not smog, and its not harmful.
Autos emit almost no methane which absorbs 20 times the heat of C02.
90% of the Earths ice is in Antartica, and its increasing, not decreasing.
Polar bears are increasing in number. . . .
“The latest government survey of polar bears roaming the vast Arctic expanses of northern Quebec, Labrador and southern Baffin Island show the population of polar bears has jumped to 2,100 animals from around 800 in the mid-1980s.”
http://www.nationalpost.com/news/story.html?id=1ea8233f-14da-4a44-b839-b71a9e5df868
Basic enthalpy tells us that gasoline powered vehicles and flex-fuel vehicles are still the most energy efficient transporation machines.
Fuel will no doubt fuel the future. America has more oil than the Middle East. Nearly a trillion barrels of shale oil are under the Rockies. Canadian tar sands abound with oil. Recent finds of billions upon billions of recoverable barrels of oil in Montana, the Gulf of Mexico, now assure that America has a virtually unlimited supply of oil for a the foreseeable future.
Oil from shale rock and tar sands can now be mined with the environmentally friendly technology known as the High Temperature Fuel Cell (HTFC) extraction method without the need for an external water source. The method generates excess electricity and substantially reduces the cost of a barrel of oil which some estimates say could be extracted for as low as $10 / barrel with leveraged cost of the excess electricity generated.
Technology to make flex-fuel E-85 from cellulostic ethanol is upon us. Seaweed grown on land as a biofuel can supply ethanol for flex-fuel vehicles.
Of course we glad that GM is making alternatives including the latest grant for lithium ion batteries. However, fuel as has a far higher energy density than lithium ion.
Yes, let’s be frank about global warming . . .
Edwin,
As soon as someone can play it to their political advantage (or they smell a potential Nobel Prize) the cause du jour will become Global Cooling. It’s only a matter of time.
The auto market will change radically if the price of oil goes back up to $147 / per barrel. Not to mention the damage it will do to our economy.
The future of our economy requires us to look at alternatives.
National Security depends on our energy security.
We need to move forward with alternative fuels and green technology.
Today the price of oil is $80 per barrel. If the price of oil goes up to $147 per barrel will GM have the fuel efficient vehicles that customers want to buy? (flex small and midsize vehicles, electric, CNG, and hybrid)
If not, what happens to GM’s market share and recovery from bankruptcy?
If the price of oil shoots up it will dramatically change buying habits. Will GM be able to survive under this scenario?
GM should be planning for the possibility. It could happen.
China and India are fast growing markets taking more and more oil to support their economies.
Oil as a commodity will continue to get more and more expensive as demand grows.
As the economy comes out of it’s near depression oil demand will increase around the world.
Will GM be ready?
THE MITSUBISHI i MiEV ALL-ELECTRIC CITY CAR TAKES THE JAPANESE CAR OF THE YEAR “MOST ADVANCED TECHNOLOGY” AWARD
Mitsubishi Motors’ electric city car praised for high-performance lithium-ion battery technology and achieving early mass-production
The Mitsubishi Motors i MiEV city car was announced as the winner of the Japanese Car of the Year “Most Advanced Technology” award yesterday at the 41st Tokyo International Motor Show 2009.
Full-Production, No Compromise
This no-compromise zero-emissions car was praised for the way it has applied its advanced lithium-ion battery technology into a full four-seat family city car, and having achieved full-production status.1
The car was available in Japan from July this year with all 1,400 of this year’s units destined for the Japanese market already sold. An additional 900 orders have also been received in Japan for the 2010 build allocation.
European production is scheduled to begin in October 2010 and will be available in left hand drive markets across Continental Europe towards the end of the year, according to market. The UK, which benefits from being a right hand drive market as in Japan, will see its first cars go onto UK roads in December this year.
Mitsubishi Motors’ EV and PHEV Expertise
The Japanese Car of the Year award underlines Mitsubishi Motors’ long standing expertise in the field of electric vehicles since the early 1970s. It also further enforces Mitsubishi Motors’ place at the forefront of electric and plug-in hybrid electric vehicle development and signals excellent progress towards its stated goal of having 20% of total production as either electric or plug-in hybrid electric vehicles by 2020.
Mitsubishi
Tokyo, Japan
http://www.mitsubishicars.com/
GM/Chevrolet currently run TV adds with an ex football player who states that the Malibu has a better Hwy MPG rating than Camry. Yet, in the group of current automobile magazines Chevy shows the MPG for both thde Malibu and Camry to be exactly the same. Is this an error or sneaky method to misstate the facts and mislead potential buyers?
Also, in the past auto manufacturers have stated both in town/hwy MPG ratings. Is this just another advertising gimmick? What happened to the integrity in advertising we used to get from GM?