First, why is RAN, who supposedly is all about “Challenging Corporate Power” coming out applauding Google? The same giant corporate behemoth Google? The one that is closing in on Microsoft as far as having a near-monopoly on our computer and internet usage? The same Google who supports the oppressive Chinese government and censors search results for them – keeping people’s access to information limited to manipulation and control? The Google that provides Chinese search users with pictures of smiling people when they type in “Tiananmen Square”, while the rest of world actually sees what really happened there? While this may not be RAN’s campaign, RAN should not collaborate with massive corporations that dominate our lives and actively support Chinese repression of grassroots movements and political issues. This seems to be supporting corporate power (or at least pandering to grant money) – not challenging it. At least Greenpeace doesn’t accept corporate donations, and they don’t even claim to be about “Challenging Corporate Power”

And secondly – why is Toyota singled out? What is Ford doing about plug-in cars? Making futuristic prototypes like the Airstream aren’t meaningful steps. Honda? Nissan? GM? Even if GM is supposedly working on the Volt, what about every other model they produce? Steps towards one niche plug-in doesn’t make up for inaction on the rest of their fleet.

Hybrid cars have been on the market for what? 5 years? 6 years? And last year they made up about 2% of overall US car sales. Since the other 98% of cars sold have overall worse gas mileage now than 5 years ago – is our addiction to oil getting better? Are we lessening emissions and stopping climate change? With the fact that more cars overall are sold, even modest improvements in fuel efficiency will not reduce the overall oil usage or emissions. We need less cars, and need to not find ways for car companies to be more profitable. First we need less people driving, and less cars sold. Sure, we do need more fuel efficient cars for the people that still “need” to drive, but it seems lately like RAN is trying to help US car companies sell more cars. Even if they are “better” cars its still more cars. That’s a problem.

Plug-ins aren’t going to be commercially available in a best-case scenario for another 3-4 years. And then do we wait another 5-6 years for them to gain 2-3% of the market? Time is running out! Experts like James Hansen and George Monbiot say we have a decade to dramatically reduce our emissions and waiting for new nice technology to catch on isn’t going to do it. Sure, support developing plug-ins, but be realistic!

RAN should stop obsessing with one niche car technology, and go back to what your zero-emissions campaign used to pursue – a DRAMATIC advance in fuel efficiency across the entire industry and their fleets. And beyond that, why keep supporting people’s addiction to cars and massive car companies domination of our transportation options? Why don’t you talk about (and maybe even organize around!) bikes, mass transit options, urban planning, carpooling, or localized economies? Localized economies would dramatically cut oil consumption, reduce emissions, AND challenge corporate power all at the same time…

David (a RAN supporter who is confused on the direction RAN is heading)