Palm | Kelapa Sawit

Blog posted by Debra Slasor

After three decades of cheap oil, the rising cost of gasoline is finally driving consumers away from gas guzzling cars trucks and SUVs, the mainstay of Detroit’s profit margins. Now General Motors, with its 100,000 workers, 1300 suppliers and thousands of dealerships around the country, may go bankrupt without federal support. If Wall Street is worth a $700 billion bailout, then what should Detroit get?

Our answer – nothing, not without conditions that reduce our dependence on oil. Our money should be offered on our terms. No automaker deserves federal funds or loan guarantees unless it commits to producing and selling at least 30,000 plug-in electric vehicles by the end of 2011 – and after those three years have passed and they’ve met the terms of the bailout, then let’s talk about more support for more plug-ins. Taxpayers’ dollars should be used to stabilize the industry and the jobs that depend on it by producing vehicles that end the downward spiral of our dependence on oil. Electric vehicles recharged by a green grid means green jobs, less greenhouse gas pollution, a more competitive domestic auto industry, not to mention saying no to tar sands development and good bye to wars for oil.

President-elect Obama has pledged to put one million plug-ins on the road by 2015 and grow five million green jobs. Sounds great - let’s get started with GM.

Visit our site about Greenwashing:

http://sites.google.com/site/ecomerge2008/

Eighty-seven percent of consumers are seriously concerned about the environment, according to the 2007 GfK Roper Green Gauge. Here is the breakdown of consumer categories based on GfK Roper Green Gauge:

GfK Roper’s survey segmented respondents on their green attitudes and actions and identified five groups:

Apathetics: Not concerned enough about the environment to take action and believe environmental indifference is the mainstream. This group represents just 18 percent of the population. TV programs are their main source of environmental information.

Grousers: Generally uninvolved and disinterested in green issues; believe individual behavior cannot improve environment. 15 percent of the population. Newspapers again serve as their major information source on green issues.

Sprouts: Environmental “fence sitters” who buy green only if it meets their needs representing just over one quarter (26 percent) of the population. One third cite newspapers as their main source of green information.

Green Back Greens: Do not have time to be completely green and not likely to give up comfort and convenience for the environment, but willing to buy green products. They represent 10 percent of the population. Nearly half (49 percent) get information on green issues from newspapers.

True Blue Greens: Environmental leaders and activists most likely to walk the green talk representing almost one third (30 percent) of the population. Nearly half (48 percent) turn to environmental groups as their main source of green information.

Jihae Lim


Visit our site:

http://sites.google.com/site/ecomerge2008/