I Hope Obama Ties Some Green Strings to the Auto Industry Bailout
Submitted by PlasticLess.com Blog
It is hard to predict who with preside over the actual bailout of the Big Three. If things move quickly, an oil industry insider with little to lose in the way of credibility will sign the thing. If there is a protracted debate, an idealistic newcomer with everything to lose in the way of credibility will sign the thing.
I would like to see some conservation based conditions attached to any handout given to the auto industry. If they are sincerely begging for money, why not force them to do a 180 degree turn with regard to what they are doing as an industry. If they can provide a product that is better for the environment than any imports, the government could justify some hefty trade barriers in order to further help the industry.
Why not demand that they stop building and promoting big SUVs?
Why not demand that they stop participating in auto racing?
Why not demand that they make more durable cars? Designing cars to last just long enough for the average consumer to pay for them probably makes some economic sense now. If manufacturers had to accept all the used up cars and deal with them in an environmentally responsible way, they would probably rethink design and materials quite a bit.
Why not demand that they cooperate to create one industry standard powertrain for compact commuter vehicles? This would be like open source for cars. This would spur entrepreneurs to to create aftermarket improvements because of the enormous potential for sales.
