DRB goes political - again!

Okay, first off, as you now know, I own a hybrid - yay! So, I listened with distinct interest to a report on NPR regarding GM's introduction of a hybrid vehicle. It turns out that their vehicle, while being a 2008 Concept Car, will likely not be available until 2012 at the earliest. The GM executive in dismissing the impact of hybrid vehicles said, "Well, even if every car in America was a hybrid it would only save us 25% of our gasoline use," as if that was not a lot. ONLY 25%??? I was dumbfounded. Am I the only one who would think that 25% IS a LOT?!?!

In fact, I have heard this argument before. Only 25% savings, so why bother at all, seems to be this line of argument. Hmm, and who do you think I have heard this argument from, liberal or conservative pundits? Sigh...it's like saying, here is a way to save 25% more of our soldiers lives in Iraq, but why bother, it's only 25%! If you can't save them all, don't save any of them...it's ridiculous!

So, in an enraged curiosity (okay, enraged may be too strong)...in a miffed curiosity, I googled to find out what percent of American oil comes from the Mideast.

It appears that oil from the Middle East (specifically, the Persian Gulf) accounts for 17 percent of U.S. oil imports. So, Mr. GM Executive, if everyone of us drove a hybrid car we could eliminate US dependence on Middle Eastern Oil!!!!! We could bring our troops home and let the Middle East be. We would no longer need its oil for our strategic purposes! Wow!

Oh, but wait, that's right, GM is responsible for killing the electric car in California in the late 90's. A car that could have revolutionized automobile transportation in the US but, according to the documentary, "the oil companies were afraid of losing out on trillions in potential profit from their transportation fuel monopoly over the coming decades!" Watch the brief summary video from the link. I haven't seen the whole movie yet, but my friends Greg and Lisa highly recommend it.

So basically, through the collusional relationship of big money, big auto (GM) and big oil, a potential solution to oil consumption and aid to combating global warming has been removed from the market. And now that the Toyota Prius is selling like gangbusters and fuel efficiency has become so very important, GM is trying to play catch up, because they screwed up in the 90's. And, since they are so behind the curve, they dismiss benefits of hybrid technology as being "only 25%".

Sigh...all I can do is sigh....

Anyway, I have another more positive political post for tomorrow. For now, I am off to class!