Sometimes executives can put their foot in their mouths, but calling global warming "a crock of s**t," goes beyond that. GM (NYSE: GM)'s Vice Chairman Bob Lutz recently expressed that opinion on his own (not reflective of GM), but it's still being hailed as idiotic on plenty of forums and blog posts from around the world this week.Lutz had to fire off a blog post of his own to defend his words, but it doesn't matter. He said what he said, and to the ever-growing ecologically astute crowd that's running from GM's gas-hogging SUVs into Toyotas and Hondas, his comments only strengthen what many think of GM: a major contributor to global warming through its huge vehicles for all those Suburban soccer moms and masculine Hummer men.
Now, Lutz did repair his words as best he could in his defense, saying that: "General Motors is dedicated to the removal of cars and trucks from the environmental equation, period. And, believe it or don't: So am I! It's the right thing to do, for us, for you and, yes, for the planet. My goal is to take the automotive industry out of the debate entirely."
It's true that GM has made great strides in trying to revolve its product portfolio around more eco-friendly vehicles, but it still has a long way to go. If it can really make a concept like the Volt work on a mass scale, the recognition GM will receive will go a long way, regardless of lessening dependence on foreign oil or helping curb global warming. Customers will take notice.
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Reader Comments (Page 2 of 2)
2-29-2008 @ 2:11PM
gumby said...
UAW STILL FOOLIN' GM SHAREHOLDERS
IT IS USELESS TO ASK GUYS TO KEEP BUYIING GM AS LONG AS UAW STILL SCREWING AROUND WITH GM SHAREHOLDERS.
GM SHAREHOLDRS START UNLOADING GM STOCK NOW
COME BACK LATER IF GM STILL LIVES ..
IF NOT , BYE BYE GM!!
2-29-2008 @ 2:11PM
gumby said...
I WILL NEVER DOOPERATE WITH YOU ANYMORE NEVER AGAIN
I HAD BEEN SUCKERED REPEATEDLY HOPING THAT THINGS WOULD GET BETTER
IT LOOKS LIKE ANTOHER DELPHI DEJAVU NOW
GM WILL BE NEXT DELPHI!!
2-29-2008 @ 2:13PM
gumby said...
DONT STARE AT ME
START TELLING YOUR BUDDIES
GM IS GOIN' DOWN
LIKE DELPHI
AWWWORRRRROOOO!!
2-29-2008 @ 2:16PM
gumby said...
LUTZ IS TALKING CROCK
UAW IS BUSY LOOTING GM AND FORD OF EVERY DIME
TOMORROW GM AND FORD WILL DECLARE BANKRUPTCY
SHAREHOLDERS WILL STRATCH HEADS..
SHAREHOLDERS ARE SLEEPY ALOOFY IDIOTS
SELL GM AND FORD NOW AND SAVE WHAT IS LEFT OF GM AND FORD
IF YOU SELL NOW UAW WILL PROBABLY STOP LOOTING, WHO KNOWS...
2-29-2008 @ 2:19PM
gumby said...
I AM THE HARDEST WORKING GM AND FORD SHAREOLDER
NOW I NOW THAT ANY ACTIVIST SHAREHOLDER ARE WASTING TIME
IT IS USELESS TO USE FREEDOM OF SPEECH TO EDUCATE STUPID SHARHELDERS
REALLY USELESS
JOUIRNALSITS ARE SO CLUELESS SO DONT READ ANYMORE OF THEM
WE ARE RUN NING IN CIRCLES
JUST BUY AND SELL TRYING TO MAKE A LITTLE
THIS IS WHAT IT S ALL ABOUT
NO USE READING STORIESSS....
2-29-2008 @ 2:24PM
gumby said...
AXLE STRIKE GM SHUTTING DOWNN
THIS IS THE CURTAIN WALL CLOSING FOR GM
2-29-2008 @ 2:24PM
gumby said...
YOU ARE WITNESSING GM SINKING NOW
BUBBLING BUBBLING
2-29-2008 @ 2:25PM
gumby said...
YOU ARE WITNESSING GM SINKING NOW
BUBBLING BUBBLING
2-29-2008 @ 3:53PM
gumby said...
R I P GM
NO BODY IS GIVING A DAMN HUH
3-02-2008 @ 12:13AM
gonefishin said...
THERE IS SCIENTIFIC EVIDENCE THAT THE DINOSAURS DIED OUT BECAUSE OF "GLOBAL WARMING" INITIATED BY THE "FLATULENCE" THEY PRODUCED FROM EATING GREENS. THE FLATULENCE, WHEN COMBINED WITH THE ELEMENTS IN THE SUROUNDING AIR PRODUCED METHANE WHICH ENDUCED GLOBAL WARMING.
LETS HOPE ALGORE (IT'S ONE WORD TO AS TO SAVE "WARM BREATH" WHICH MAY LEAD TO GLOBAL WARMING) KEEPS HIS MOUTH SHUT. 15 MINUTES OF HIS ORATING AND THE MILLIONS OF DINOSAURS COME OFF SECOND BEST IN THE "FLATULENCE" DEPARTMENT.
3-03-2008 @ 10:25AM
Larry said...
Lutz is ABSOLUTELY CORRECT. It is so refreshing to hear a REAL AMERICAN voice what the silent majority here in real world America knows. Bob, run for President, PLEASE!!!!!!
3-03-2008 @ 2:16PM
John Lavery said...
While it probably isn't wise for Mr. Lutz to talk the way he did, he is mostly correct. Global Warming is occurring, but man has had VERY LITTLE effect on it. If not for Global Warming, wouldn't we still be in the ICE AGE? If not for Global Warming, glaicers wouldn't be melting providing pure water for the majority of the worlds population, but WarMOngers only want to talk about melting glaciers and ice caps, they never mention that we only monitor/measure less than 5% of ALL glaciers, and of those we do monitor and measure, just as many are GROWING. The WarMongers talk about the THOUSANDS of tons of CO2 generated by mankind (what they really mean is the USA), but they NEVER mention that C)2 is less than half of ONE PERCENT of the atmosphere, and that fraction hasn't changed (significantly) in the last 100 years. They also won't mention that plants, which thrive in CO2 rich environment and produce OXYGEN, would thrive most in an enviroment of 17% CO2. I would be glad to DISCUSS this with anyone, but usually the LEFTIES/WarMongers don't want discussion, if you don't line up for their KOOL-AID your dismissed as an idiot. Don't confuse them with the FACTS, they don't care about the FACTS, this is really a guise for their true agenda, redistribution of wealth from the USA and EUROPE to the poor. Sign me Chill'in in Sunny Florida with my big Chevy AVALANCHE.
3-03-2008 @ 4:01PM
MIKE said...
I believe that the global warming is a long term trend. the glaciers have been retreating for thousands of years. Where did the Great Lakes come from? The retreating glaciers left them. If everyone including the so called scientists are so worried about global warming why isn't there a cry in all the papers and magazines for population control. Last I looked everytime a human breathes we are expelling carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. The problem is not the automobile it's the extra billions of people now driving them. When the biased media talks about China it's always in an negative connotation of forced population control. The Chinese seem to be the most socially responsible country in the world when it comes to population control. So until I hear the liberal media backing forced population control I'll drive my SUV.
3-13-2008 @ 2:23AM
Ashram said...
As far as I'm concerned, the evidence is still largely inconclusive regarding the existence of global warming caused by greenhouse gas surpluses by human activity.
I am more inclined to believe that the warming trend may be due to a natural climate oscillation that occurs every several decades, well before detailed record-keeping could be made.
There is historical evidence of warm climates hundreds of years ago around the middle ages followed by colder periods during the later part of the European renaissance and the American Revolution.
Now it appears that we are in a warming trend again and the warming could continue until it hits the peak, if it has not already, and then temperatures may start to fall. Of course, these cycles occur over a span of several decades. In addition, there will be unusual developments in weather such as cold snaps or heat waves that may merely be normal variations that do occur in a system as complex as Earth's climate instead of being indicative of a disruption of the cycle (it's a predictable cycle, overall, but it's not going to progress perfectly smooth because of variations that can and do occur unpredictably due to the complexity of the system, which is why computer models trying to explain long term trends of global warming can't be entirely relied upon as the programming of such simulation cannot take all of these variables into account in the long term; to give you an idea, this is also why there are uncertainties in long term weather forecasting because of the same problem).
However, there is one fact that is true: petroleum is a finite natural resource and, ironically, it takes the sensationalist and opportunist manipulation of the research of man-induced global warming, more or less, to scare people into taking action to change our energy infrastructure and indirectly conserve this resource by reducing its consumption to reduce CO2 emissions instead of merely understanding the fact that we may run out of oil in a few decades and, thus, must now start to make slow but steady progress towards other energy sources to maintain our current standard of living in addition to conserving petroleum for other important uses.
As for the comment by Mr. Lutz himself, he could have phrased it a bit less harshly, but he's rightfully questioning it.
That's what every responsible person should do as that's the only way to validate or invalidate an idea.
People who abhor those who question an idea are shortsighted because, if the idea is good, then it will endure and logically convert those who may have been hostile to it, which is the greatest way to show that the idea is good. If it can't stand up to reasonable skepticism, then it's a sign that, perhaps, the people who believe in it may need to re-evaluate the idea themselves.
Things like global warming shouldn't merely be taken for what it is as you should try to understand it yourself from both sides of the debate and then make the decision about whether or not you believe in it.
In addition, regarding political motivations, people should realize that motivations that could breed corruption are rampant on both sides. There is money and power at hand for both those who conclude that global warming is real (United Nations IPCC) and those who conclude that it is not (big oil).