Auto Bailout Should Be Renewable
The auto bailout plan failed in Congress, and thinking upon it further, no matter how you slice it, any bailout for the Big Three automakers should come with some very strict requirements. The American auto industry, namely its executives, has singlehandedly ushered itself into an era of bankruptcy. GM, Chrysler, and Ford have continually attempted to shove SUVs and trucks down the people’s throats despite increasing outcry for energy efficient alternatives. GM even went so far as to pull electric cars off the road and crush them (don’t worry, they recycled); a mistake for which they have since apologized.
Are we to trust such negligent businessmen? No. Should we loan them $35 billion of money we don’t even have? Not without some hefty leverage. The fact is we can’t let the auto industry, which actually supports a massive infrastructure of jobs, go down. This is the real economy. Unemployment rates didn’t skyrocket when AIG, Bear Stearns, and other financial giants took a tumble (Nor did they decrease after $300 or so billion was handed out). But if GM went kaput?
What we need now is a renewable bailout. No company leaves Washington with a dime until green vehicles and green jobs are in the contract.
How the Big Three attack the new challenge — ethanol, electricity, biodiesel, etc. — is not as important as it being done, and done now. The several options for renewable fuels are certainly debatable. Even natural gas, nonrenewable but much cleaner than gasoline or diesel, is on the table.
Here is an argument in favor of each type of fuel: ethanol, electric cars, electric cars nearly 100 years ago, biodiesel, and natural gas.
We have been clamoring for alternative fueled vehicles for years now and both Congress and the Big Three have been deaf to our demands; showing only symbolic support in the way of meager emissions standards, fancy prototypes, and no real plan for implementation. The new Chevy Volt (2010) and other electric cars are allegedly a big part of the Big Three’s revitalization plan, but again, we need some assurance, some regulation, some enforcement. It’s simple: this is taxpayer money, a taxpayer business venture, and we know what we want.
To the Big Three auto companies: Go out and get it for us…quickly now.
Posted on December 15th in Solar News by Dan.