It’s Getting Hot In Here

The recent Supreme Court decision requiring the Federal Government to regulate tailpipe emissions as a pollutant has been widely hailed by environmentalists. While the EPA is not expected to move on the new mandate for months, one branch of the government, the obscure Oil Enforcement Agency, seems to have jumped the gun. They’ve begun ticketing low-MPG cars and trucks, pressuring dealerships, even impounding vehicles that don’t meet agency standards, as they did last week at the New York Auto Show.
See: Plenty Magazine.

Their actions have stirred more than a little controversy.
Follow the full story here: Oil Enforcement Agency

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Just wanted to pass this amazing hockey article along and to announce that this Feb. 16 is Save Hockey Day in North America and what better way to celebrate Kyoto’s anniversary than by dropping the gloves on Global Warming! If you want to be involved contact itstimetoriseup@gmail.com for more information.

It really is easy to be ‘green’
By Adam Proteau
The Hockey News

It may sound stupid, but the one thing you need for ice hockey is, after all, ice. And some NHLers are concerned if the temperature continues to rise, there may not be much of it left.

In the Fantasy Land where the NHL hangs its shingle, many things are taken for granted. Those things usually are only fully appreciated when the health of someone connected to the game is jeopardized, or when world events are sufficiently grave so as to be unavoidable.

For some reason, though, a major illness has gone unrecognized by the grand majority of the hockey world. And the implications of it are as dire as can be, both on the ice and off it.

The illness is global warming. And the fact we’ve yet to gain the same, sudden, serious sense of perspective now that Earth is sick is something that troubles an increasing number of NHLers.
Continue reading ‘NHL Hockey Players Join Fight against Global Warming’

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Surprise revelation coincides with NAIAS debut of gas-guzzling Ford Interceptor

DETROIT – Celebrated Muppet Kermit the Frog will visit the North American International Auto Show (NAIAS) to speak candidly and regretfully about his role the past year as a spokesperson for Ford Motor Company. Referring to his work in commercials for Ford’s Escape Hybrid, Kermit hopes to tell CEO Alan Mullaly, “it’s easy pretending to be green, but we need Ford to do more than fake it.”

As a supposed expert on all things green, Kermit’s decision in early 2006 to represent Ford – the most oil addicted automaker in the world – took many by surprise. The Environmental Protection Agency has ranked Ford near the bottom in fuel efficiency for several straight years, and a July 2006 Forbes Magazine report on the world’s least environmentally sustainable cars listed five Ford models among its seven worst vehicles. Last June, Ford reneged on a nine-month-old promise to build 250,000 hybrids by 2010, drawing the ire of environmental and human rights groups across the country.
Continue reading ‘Kermit Speaks Out About Working for Ford, says It’s Easy Pretending to be Green’

Los Angeles Auto Show (the largest Auto show in North America) – Day 1.

I came down with a contingent of people from RAN and Global Exchange, meeting up with folks from CodePink and other local LA activists. The LA Auto Show is one of the major international auto shows – where everyone in the auto industry meets to debut new products, show off new technologies and prototype cars (many of which never make it to production), and this year especially – to talk about energy and the environment. The show this year is themed “New Beginnings” – and a big emphasis of the show is talking about “green” issues and alternative
technologies.

On one hand, we’d like to be really excited when the auto industry starts talking about environmental concerns and energy usage. But we also have a healthy bit of skepticism – which is informed by a long legacy of green washing and broken promises from the auto industry. So one of our biggest goals of being at the Auto Show this week is to keep pressure on automakers to actually move forward on improving fuel efficiency and make real commitments. We want commercially-available products - not empty promises (or mere prototypes).
Continue reading ‘Activists Challenge GM Exec at LA Auto Show’

Please join us in celebrating a milestone for the Jumpstart Ford campaign.

Last week, AutoNation became the first major car dealer to join Plug-In Partners, calling on automakers to manufacture plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs) and make them available to American customers. PHEVs are hybrid vehicles that dramatically reduce our dependence on oil by plugging into the grid to recharge. PHEVs achieve up to 100 mpg and offer you, the driver, a real-world solution to high gas costs, poor air quality, climate change and over-reliance on oil. AutoNation is linking to Plug-In Partners’ website where customers can place “soft orders” for PHEVs.

So, let me give you the inside story on why this announcement is so important.
Continue reading ‘FORD’S Largest MegaDealer Joins the Campaign to Break America’s Oil Addiction’

Published: Wednesday, October 18, 2006