Global warming goes away if Big 3 go under?
Kill Detroit, kill CO2 emissions?Despite my previous bailout post, I'm still an advocate of an automaker bailout with strings. A new string that environmental activists are now advocating is a bailout only if the Big 3 drop their suit against California and its desire to regulate CO2 emissions - an interesting idea.
Yet, I have some questions. Why are autos the environmental whipping boy? Don't houses and buildings cause far more environmental damage? Doesn't the food industry, especially the meat industry, cause more environmental damage?
Anyway. If automakers go bankrupt, do CO2 emissions go down? Does not bankruptcy only ensure that we drive gas-guzzling polluters longer?
Labels: bailout, global warming
posted by Dahcredyns at
8:22 AM
2 Comments:
Car travel represents 12% of greenhouse gas emissions. It's not the biggest contributor, but it is still a major source. See: http://daily.sightline.org/daily_score/archive/2008/08/11/two-views-of-greenhouse-gases
Based on the link, it's the public's embrace of urban sprawl and consumerism that is really killing the planet. For the former, if people didn't live so far from work, shopping, schools, etc. then they would live both more densely (gaining innumerable energy and efficiency advantages) and need to travel shorter distances where a car isn't necessary. Consumerism is also a big problem due to the extremely lax pollution controls in emerging countries where all these goods are manufactured (coupled with massive ocean shipping pollution to boot).
If the current financial crisis gets much worse though, maybe the world will somehow meet its Kyoto targets after all.
that's pretty much the way we'll move forward. either we use technology in a beneficial way, or we regress.
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