Global warming, big business, oil and hybrid cars

Hybrid cars are too expensive because gas is cheap, many American auto analysts and auto executives continue to state.

But is gas really that cheap?

Any American who questions the cost of gas is considered some kind of environmental nut by mainstream media and industry.

Why?

There is no doubt that smog in America's largest cities was, and is, significantly caused by automobile emissions caused by oil, and numerous studies have shown that smog has a negative impact on people's health. Many Americans will die prematurely because of smog - that is a fact.

Now most scientist throughout the world believe these emissions are also significantly contributing to global warming, but don't say those two words in Houston.

According to a Reuters story, U.S. companies do not take global warming seriously, and in Houston, "one of the world's oil capitals, opposition to the notion of global warming is so strong that local officials have to be careful not to use the term, said Elena Marks, the city's directory of health policy."

These profit-rich oil companies are one of the most powerful industry segments in the United States today and they use that power to protect their profit and interests.

"Financial and insurance firms elsewhere have awakened to the dangers posed by global warming, but U.S. companies have shown little interest so far, a British insurance expert said on Wednesday. U.S. insurers have elected not to join in, often because they have close links to the fossil fuel industry. In the U.S.A., the fossil fuel companies are extremely powerful."

O.K., so let's forget about global warming and smog, let's just pretend it doesn't exist. Fine, I'm just a nut on that one (as is the Pentagon).

Are there any other costs?

Why are we in Iraq, for the second time?

Let us say it is because of weapons of mass destruction. How could Saddam afford to create such programs?

Oil.

While the U.S. might not be directly fighting in Iraq because of oil, oil is the root of the problem. Thousands of Americans and tens of thousands of Arabs have been killed because of oil. Trillions of dollars have been spent to secure, oil.

Flip on the tube and watch CNBC, a financial news network, and oil is one of the most frequented topics.

Both Bush presidents became president because of one thing, oil.

Every major American car manufacturer is strongly influenced by Unions. One of the main mantras of the Union is buy American. If it is so important to buy American, why do we import so much of America's economic fuel, oil, from foreign countries - especially from countries with such strong anti-American feelings?

How many Union pension funds have shares of oil company stock?

Oil has done many things to benefit the U.S. and the world, but has the quality of life for most Americans improved as much as the wealth of the richest of the rich whom own oil?

If you are happy with the state of affairs in the U.S. politically, economically, and environmentally, then go buy your gas-guzzler.

As for me, I'm tired of making filthy rich people - that could care less about me and my family - even richer, at my expense, and I won't buy anything less efficient than a hybrid.

I've had enough of their perfect world.