What is wrong with cars?
I’ve though about this for a while and I just can’t seem to come to a good conclusion. The Transportation Administration has not required cars to have better fuel efficiency since I was in diapers. (For those of you unaware, that’s the 70’s) Not only that, but cars today are basically getting the same MPG as cars made in the 1920’s. I’m not talking about hybrids, which are a smarter way to go, but if they really wanted to improve efficiency in those, they’d make them deisel and electric. And by switching to diesel, these cars can run on ethanol which is much more environmentally friendly than petroleum. Rudolf Diesel developed his engine to run on biofuel, and demonstrated it during the 1900 Worlds Fair using peanut oil. Plus having a diesel engine improves reliability over an electronic ignition internal combustion engine.
One thing that is going for the automotive industry is Bill Ford, the new president of Ford Motor. I have had a few Ford vehicles and they have been highly reliable. But, as I see it Bill Ford is the saviour (or will be) of the American automotive industry. Despite layoffs recently, I believe Bill will not only turn his company around with more research into hybrid vehicles and alternate fuels, but he is a Buddhist and strongly cares about the environment and the lives of all things. He may well return Ford to it’s former glory of Henry Ford Sr.’s innovative assembly line, and the time when Ford Sr. build cars for the working man and paid his employees enough to buy his cars.
http://www.usatoday.com/money/autos/2005-02-27-ford-ceo-usat_x.htm
I don’t mean to preach about how good the Ford Motor Company is, and I’m sure there are many other companies leading and working to fuel efficient cars, like Toyota and Honda, but as I see it, Bill Ford is the best shot America has at being competitive in auto sales.
Here recently President Bush called for a reduction in Saudi and Middle Eastern imports of oil to be reduced by 75% in a little less than 20 years. I don’t see how he can accomplish this with his massive cuts in education and decreases in clean energy research. Over $2billion next year alone in education, and decreases in energy research programs of $50million. How can we reduce the dependence of foreign oil and fuel when we aren’t spending money on educating the future engineers and scientist to develop new alternate fuel sources? Not only this, but he is reducing the budget of the EPA to protect the smog filled, greenhouse effected climate we live in now.
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,184005,00.html
http://www.energybulletin.net/4545.html
But who is Bush kidding? He’s an oil man and has made money off his friends in the industry since he was born. He has never ran a successful business, why did so many people think he could run the country? He has run the country to the ground by increasing our debits to foreign governments to over $600billion a year. Due to his borrowing, the dollar is devalued all over the world. No wonder America cannot compete. By the way, the government owes each citizen more than $27,000 for it’s debit, and rising. (But the tax cuts are going to people making more than $100,000 or more. I don’t know about you, but it took me five years to make that much.)
http://www.epi.org/content.cfm/issuebrief203
http://www.brillig.com/debt_clock/
Since I’m spending about half the money I make in energy costs; gas for my car, electricity and oil for my apartment, I think it is about time you all out there write to you Congressman and/or Senators to tell them you want your tax dollars spent on energy research and education. It is your future, not theirs you have to be worried about.
http://www.senate.gov/general/contact_information/senators_cfm.cfm
