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Salting the Earth (16-page PDF)
Pat Murphy, Community Solutions
…There are many aspects to modern life and its commitment to consumption but undoubtedly one of the most destructive aspects is the private automobile. Yet the automobile is touted as one of the most attractive benefits of modern life. It is often said the car industry “keeps our economy going.” Charles E. Wilson (while president of General Motors) made the famous and much quoted statement “What’s good for the country is good for General Motors, and vice versa.”
The car is more than a mode of transportation – it defines our infrastructure, our homes and our communities. The car’s definition of our physical communities has destroyed our social communities. The car supposedly represents freedom and independence. But this freedom is mostly a freedom from responsibility to other people. The private car may be the greatest alienation device between humans that has ever existed.
(June 2006)
A detailed analysis of automotive transportation – starting with the hydrogren promise, to technologies like electric vehicles, hybrids and plug-in hybrids. Different ways to supply the electricity to power vehicles are examined, including wind and coal. The viability of coal sequestration is discussed. -BA
Qantas challenged by soaring fuel costs
AAP, The Age
The soaring price of fuel poses a greater commercial challenge to Qantas than terrorism, SARS or the Asian tsunami, airline boss Margaret Jackson says.
In a lecture in Canberra on Wednesday, the Qantas chairwoman said she did not know how high fuel prices would go, or how long they would stay at record levels.
Ms Jackson said the price of fuel was having a major impact on Qantas’ business – more so than the commercial and logistical challenges the airline faced after the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks, the bombings in Bali a year later and the SARS epidemic which disrupted the aviation industry.
“These challenges, while huge, they’re no comparison – as a commercial challenge – to fuel increases,” Ms Jackson said.
(2 Aug 2006)
US carmakers suffer drop in sales
BBC
Chrysler has opted to extend its discounts in an effort to boost sales
US carmakers have been hit by further falls in sales, with the big names racking up double-digit declines.
Ford said sales sank 35.2% in July compared with last year, Chrysler sales fell 37% and General Motors 19.5%.
Part of the fall was blamed on the fact that heavy discounts seen last year were no longer on offer.
But rising fuel costs and interest rates have led consumers to opt for smaller, more fuel efficient vehicles – delivering a boost to Asian carmakers.
A 16% rise in sales at Japanese group Toyota pushed the automotive firm to the number two carmaker slot in the US – ahead of both Ford and DaimlerChrysler.
(1 Aug 2006)
Electric Car director on Daily Show (video)
David Roberts, Gristmill
Chris Paine, director of Who Killed the Electric Car?, appeared on The Daily Show last night, and did pretty well.
(4 Aug 2006)
