Mercury Mariner hybrid saves the environment on July 11

I was forwarded a press release for the July 11 launch of the Mercury Mariner hybrid penned by Ford's Sustainable Mobility Technologies and Hybrid program director, Mary Ann Wright, which had almost nothing to do with the Mercury Mariner hybrid. In fact, it's reminiscent of Ford's current CEO, whom constantly speaks of his environmental passion, yet his company is consistently ranked as one of the least environmentally-friendly auto companies.

"Recycling and reusing were not just fads for us...they were a way of life that I still practice today, from being a vegan to not buying products that have been tested on animals," Mrs. Wright tells us about her background. "But, beyond the personal choices I make in my everyday life, I have channeled my love of the environment into my profession...which, for me, is the ultimate high."

While Ford has done an excellent job with the Ford Escape hybrid, and the Mercury Mariner hybrid is sure to please, 50,000 hybrid vehicles is but a tiny sliver of Ford automobile sales. Ford can do much better.

The truth is, Ford is not an environmentally friendly company. To be fair, even Toyota, king of hybrid cars, really isn't a very environmentally friendly auto company either. Nonetheless, Ford will probably sell about 50,000 hybrids next year, Toyota aims to sell 500,000 hybrids next year.

It's great that Ford employees love the environment...perhaps, one day, Ford Corporation will also love the environment. Until then, Ford should stick to talking about the quality of their hybrid SUVs - which is great - instead of their love for the environment.