And the Fossil Fool of the Year Is…….
Ken Lewis, CEO of Bank of America! For his company’s massive support of the coal industry and other carbon intensive industry.
The final results are in for the “Foolies.”
Here are the other winners:
Outstanding Performance in Corporate Greenwashing: GM CEO Rick Wagoner, for his company’s creation of GMNext.com, a website designed to promote GM’s environmental progress even as the company attempted to block the efforts of California and 11 other states to reduce vehicle greenhouse gas emissions.
Most Inauspicious Newcomer: Archer Daniels Midland (ADM) CEO Patricia Woertz, for her company’s newfound recognition as a massive contributor to global warming for its role in clearing pristine rainforests around the world for the production of soy and palm oil, in part for biofuels. Biofuels produced on newly cleared land result in more climate-changing carbon emissions than traditional fossil fuels.
Biggest Human Toll: Cargill CEO Gregory R. Page, for the agribusiness giant’s displacement of frontline communities throughout South America, Southeast Asia and the Pacific to make way for the expansion of its massive soy and palm oil plantations.
Lifetime Achievement: George Bush and Dick Cheney, for their persistent efforts to deny the reality and impacts of global climate change, promote carbon-intensive energy solutions, and block progress toward curbing climate change.
Thousands voted in an online contest over the past few weeks to determine “Fossil Fool of the Year.” Beginning tomorrow, there will be actions and pranks all over the world, some of which will be delivering awards to winners and nominees.
You can check out the full nominees here.
12 Responses to “And the Fossil Fool of the Year Is…….”
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April 1st, 2008 at 11:14 am
While I think it’s commendable to look for ways to be kind to the environment, the notion that “global warming” is a fact is way off base. There are many researchers that believe that “global warming” is a complete fallacy. In fact, the average mean temperature of earth has fallen over the past decade, not risen.
Climate changes have been happening on Earth for hundreds of millions of years. Does anyone else remember the “ice age” scared back in the mid 1970s ? I believe global warming and global cooling are parts of a cycle that has been going on for hundreds of millions of years.
And think about this. You all condemn fossil fuels. But I believe that this planet evolved in such a way so that human beings could sustain and improve their lives. Why do you think this planet produces oil and natural gas ? It is there for human beings to use for energy. It’s all part of the natural evolution of this planet.
Again I commend you all for looking out for the environment. The way energy is used is not perfect and it should be used in a way that is as kind as possible for the environment. But chaining yourselves to banks and running around claiming “the sky is falling” like Chicken Little is not the way to go about it. It only makes you look like fools and that’s really too bad.
Totally damning fossil fuels is pure lunacy. If these fuels were never meant to be used for energy then the planet would not have created them for us to use.
Good luck withn your movement, but my advice, try to get into intelligent debates instead of just trying to make a spectacle of yourselves. That serves no purpose whatsoever.
April 2nd, 2008 at 7:03 am
As soon as I saw the nominees for the Fossil Fools, I had a feeling we were going to win one. Obviously, you’re not going to change your minds about our company no matter what we say or do. That’s your right. But we’re just going to keep working to improve the environmental performance of both our vehicles and our facilities and eventually you’ll see that while we’ve been talking about the future of transportation, we’ve actually been making it.
To that point, GMnext.com is about having a dialogue and we’re going to keep doing just that. That’s why I would like to invite you and all your readers to the next environmental chat we’re doing. This Friday, from 9 – 10 a.m. EST, Bob Kruse, Executive Director of Global Vehicle Engineering Hybrids, Electric Vehicles and Batteries for GM will be answering the question: Why don’t automakers produce a 100 mpg car? I know it’s a topic you all care passionately about (in fact, some of your comments led us to create this chat), so feel free to join us for an intellectual conversation on the topic. You can go to http://www.gmnext.com/livechat.aspx and register with your e-mail.
Christopher Barger
Director, Global Communications Technology
General Motors
April 2nd, 2008 at 9:23 am
Yeah, Chris, I thought that pressuring the California Air Resource Board to eviscerate the ZEV requirement was pretty historic, too.
April 2nd, 2008 at 10:31 am
Chris…you can’t really debate intelligently with fringe thinkers. It’s impossible. Remember these are people that would rather chain themselves to banks and create a spectacle instead of actually trying to come up with something constructive.
They insist that “global warming” is gospel truth when even the scientists can’t agree if there really is “global warming”. Back in the 70s all the lunatic fringe were claiming that the abuse of the planet was bringing us into another ice age…..LOL.
I am not talking about ALL the people that want a cleaner environment, I am talking about the whackos who go over the edge. I commend people that want to see us all being kinder to the environment but I think those that are using “global warming” as a career to support themselves are operating under a completely different agenda.
Basically….some of them need to grow up.
April 2nd, 2008 at 10:36 am
How about it, Chris, would you like to go on record saying that global warming is just alarmism? You’d fit right in at GM …
And Gary, I’ve been meaning to ask: is this denialism just your opinion, or that of the Hartford, the investment bank whose network you’re posting from?
April 2nd, 2008 at 2:56 pm
Luke…wow….you know how to look up an IP address. Should I be impressed ?
Try doing some research and you will find that many scientists believe that “global warming” is a complete fallacy. However I know that you and others on the lunatic fringe need to be believe that it’s gospel truth so you will have something to keep you occupied.
Do you really think that coal, oil and natural gas is going to be replaced anytime soon as the primary energy source ? Please tell me that you are not that naive. Don’t you think that if the energy companies had found an alternative fuel and could make even more billions from it they would have done it already ?
Oil, coal and natural gas are produced naturally by this planet for a reason.
Now go chain yourself to an oil company’s front door and get yourself arrested. That is sure to help find solutions…
April 2nd, 2008 at 3:07 pm
Oh my. Don’t tell me you’re some kind of abiotic oil nut. Fringe thinkers indeed.
April 2nd, 2008 at 3:26 pm
So tell me Luke, what’s your solution to this “perceived” problem of global warming ? Chaining yourself to the doors of businesses ? The planet Earth has had climate shifts for hundreds of millions of years. Long before you and I were around and it will continue long after. I am a moderate that can’t stomach extremists on either side of any issue. Extremists offer no solutions, they just like to get their names in the newspaper and their faces on TV.
Oh by the way…my 300 hp Mustang GT convertible will be coming out of storage soon, you are welcome to come along for a drive….LOL
April 2nd, 2008 at 3:48 pm
Here’s a good place to start:
http://www.theoildrum.com/node/3791
Whether you choose to ignore the reality of global warming or not, you should be vaguely aware that fossil fuels will run out. I guess you’re planning to convert your mustang to run on coal-to-liquid?
Fossil fuel energy came from the sun, and, like it or not, we’re going to have to learn to live within our solar budget sooner or later. If we do it sooner, we can avoid nasty things like climate change, collapse of the global food system, resource wars, and water shortages. If we do it later, we can’t. Which future do you want your descendants to live in?
RAN’s more photogenic tactics are simply ways to encourage people to take the long view into account. Humanity finding fossil fuels was like winning the lottery - a one-time windfall that helped us escape the Malthusian trap - but now, as the free money is running out, it presents us with a difficult transition. Essentially, we won $2 million in the lottery, made the down payment on a $20 million house, had 5 billion kids, and then realized, as our balance dwindled, that maybe we should have made some investments in assets that would provide an actual income (read: renewables).
If you think continuing on the current path of wasting our energy inheritance with nary a thought for the future is a fine idea, you’re entitled to your asinine opinion.
April 2nd, 2008 at 3:53 pm
Hey Luke….I have news for you. At some point in the future our sun will supernova, then it won’t matter what is being used for fuel.
As for converting my Mustang to an alternative fuel, I doubt I won’t be driving for that many years to have the need to do that….LOL.
So what solution do you have for the supernova of the sun ? It will take quite a bit of fuel to get every person on the planet into spaceships and bound for some other solar system so the human race can continue.
However, since you are a space cadet this sounds like it would be right up your alley.
April 2nd, 2008 at 4:45 pm
And of course you are SURE it will be billions of years, right ? Just as you are SURE that “global warming” is a complete and undeniable fact.
Another news flash for you, Einstein. All science is is theory, all of it. There is research that supports global warming and there is as much research that supports that it’s a complete fallacy. You chose to believe the research that supports it. I chose to come down on the side of the research that thinks historical climate changes are a part of this planets natural evolution. So this makes you right and makes me wrong ? I think not.
There have been many examples over the course of history where scientific theories and hypothesis have been proven wrong eventually. Now this means your position COULD be right but it could be way off base as well. Until it’s an absolute certainty that climate changes are solely caused by the use of fossil fuels, I refuse to live my life by some “theory” or “hypothesis”. If it makes you feel good to live your life in that manner, then by all means, do so. It’s a free country. Just don’t try to shove it down the throats of the rest of us.
April 5th, 2008 at 8:17 am
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