Auto Companies Create Fake Grassroots Campaigns Against Fuel Standards

[IChing]

www.drivecongress.com
www.drivingamericasfuture.com
www.grabdemocracybythehorns.com (password protected at this time)


What do all of the above internet sites all have in common? They are all designed to encourage consumers to contact Congress. What shall consumers say to Congress? To "Oppose Unrealistic Fuel Economy Increases," according to one of the sites. The other sites have similar goals, although Chrysler is only targeting their dealerships at this time with their "Grab Democracy by the Horns" site. Drive Congress was created by The Alliance of Automobile Manufacturers, an organization made up of nine manufacturers, or ten if you count Daimler separate from Chrysler already.

http://www.autobloggreen.com/2007/05/27/gm-chrysler-and-the-auto-alliance-create-websites-to-sway-consu/

[johnaries]

1. That's obviously true of drivecongress.com, but drivingamericasfuture

looks like a pretty good site. I'm still checking it out, but so far I like what I'm seeing. I'll read it with a critical eye, however, thanks to your warning.

edit: ok, they are definitely AGAINST higher CAFE standards, but heir other proposals are excellent. Their main argument is that increasing CAFE standards "forces" automakers to concentrate resources on existing technology rather than exploring alternate technologies, which I disagree with. Increased CAFE standards can also force automakers towards alternative technologies, if the standards are written correctly.

[bluerum]

2. Right. What the hell would I do with a fuel efficient vehicle anyway?

Morans.

[mrdmk]

3. Yep, industry

http://www.drivingamericasfuture.org/docs/news/dfp_051007.shtml

http://www.freep.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=2007705100371

Good old hydrogen! Hydrogen is a transfer of energy, it takes a lot of energy (spent energy) to make hydrogen energy which we know how to do, but cost a lot. Another thing is if you park your hydrogen car in the garage for a week, you can count on having an empty tank when you go to use your car (the hydrogen atom cannot be contained because it is so small).

Down the memory hole. Has anybody heard of a hydrogen bomb or the Hindenburg? Think about it, hydrogen hits the atmosphere it will likely explode into a gas ball. Hey I have a great idea, lets name the first car the Pinto!

[Cobalt-60]

10. H2 leaks through steel, it's true

They'll push only impractical technolgies.
that way we're only stuck with gasoline a few years longer.

[MasonJar]

4. These US companies are so shortsighted; they are ruining themselves.

[IChing]

5. How General Motors armed the Third Reich

Hitler's Carmaker: The Inside Story of How General Motors Helped Mobilize the Third Reich (Part 1)
http://hnn.us/articles/37935.html


Hitler's Carmaker: As the Nazis Amassed Power, What Did GM Know and When? (Part 2)
http://hnn.us/articles/38255.html


Hitler's Carmaker: From War Profiteering to Undermining Mass Transit (Part 3)
http://hnn.us/articles/38526.html

Hitler's Carmaker: How Will Posterity Remember General Motors' Conduct? (Part 4)
http://hnn.us/articles/38829.html

[TexasThoughtCriminal]

6. If they would spend their resources on making fuel-efficient vehicles

...rather than trying to influence the political debate, they might actually have vehicles that compete with the Japanese.

Oh, but that would make sense. Much cheaper to buy off the politicians.

[Clark2008]

19. In quality, they do have vehicles that compete with the Japanese.

There's absolutely nothing wrong with the quality of American cars. I've only owned American cars and mine have done quite nicely, thank you, while my ex-husband's Nissans gave us nothing but grief. Toyota, too, holds the title of most cars recalled now, as well. But, people are still stuck in the 80s or something and continue to believe that Japanese cars are somehow better made when that's simply not the case any more and hasn't been for at least 15 years or better (I STILL see 80s models Tauruses and Escorts on the road alongside those hold Hondas and Camry's, for example).

That said, the problem here is with the American buying public. They want these big honkers - SUVs, huge luxury cars, etc.

I realize that on this board, people are smart enough to realize that smaller, more fuel-efficient cars are the way to go, but, if you actually look on the road and see what your fellow Americans are driving, you'd note that we're in the minority on this board. Most people are still driving big gas guzzlers - over-consumption is so drilled into the fabric of our society that we can't seem to get away from it.

America has a love affair with her cars, but, it's fast-becoming more one-sided, similar to battered-women's syndrome, and we need to get the fuck out of the relationship and find better options.

[lpbk2713]

7. You'll probably hear OxyRush talk this up a whole lot.

He's a highly paid spokesman for General Motors and Big Oil.

[skids]

8. Really there should be an astroturf tracking blog...

...closest I've found so far is "Corporate Engagement"

[blondeatlast]

14. Maybe we could start something like this at DU and perhaps go on from there.

I'd be very interested in doing this; I'm always surprised how often "astroturf" sites get cited on even DU.

[skids]

16. Maybe a research forum thread? n/t

[Cobalt-60]

9. I can see the news now

"..An angry mob assembled outside the Ford factory today demanding more wasteful machines.
Joe. E. Puke was heard to say that his testicles shrivel if he isn't consuming a gallon of gasoline every five miles...."

[IChing]

11. Do I really need to put the data up again?

On what our car culture in the USA costs in terms of the CO2 emissions on this planet
because of greedy unthoughtful, irrational people that choose a religion for their power
to either hide behind their insecurities or the priests of power that
abuses the children of the future over science.

OK, I didn't really say that......LOL


The Model T got 25mpg almost a hundred years ago.
But that was a Ford, but they still play that circle game.

Next bailout of our automotive industry requires part government
ownership and direction. Chrysler was a disastrous bailout.

I don't like Large industries without government heavy scrutiny or part ownership.

but that is not the "American" way these days when corporations rule the planet.

[lostnfound]

12. This astroturf is deeply destructive and disturbing to our democracy, and I don't know --

what should be done about it.

Ordinary citizens normally have no profit motive in starting real grassroots groups, and they already already face big obstacles competing for people's spare time and spare change in order to even operate on shoestring budgets. Real grassroots groups already are outlobbied by the normal corporate lobbyists.

This astroturf is just another way of using corporate money to muddy up the waters.

[blondeatlast]

15. See post 8 for a start. nt

[Swamp Rat]

13. k&r

[annabanana]

17. kind of like the ads that were run by big pharma to fight negotiating

med prices for medicare D. .(I think that worked too)

[JerseygirlCT]

18. So do we use them to demand much higher standards? nt