Ignoring the extraordinary freedom and mobility that the gas engine has delivered, Obama instead outlined a dark picture of a civilization on Armageddon’s doorstep. Our “oil addiction,” he said, has empowered Osama bin Laden and corrupt Latin dictators, and has set “off a chain of dangerous weather patterns that would condemn future generations to global catastrophe.” Hurricanes, drought, famine, and forest fires are ravaging the globe today with the result that “people are dying. . . and species are becoming extinct.”
He laid blame at the American auto industry’s feet.
Payne provided some facts about what kinds of vehicles American and foreign companies are producing:
That would be news to foreign competitors. In fact, Japanese carmakers have penetrated the U.S. market in the last 30 years by selling consumers what they want: quality, and big, sedans and trucks. In 1985, for example, 96 percent of the nearly one million cars Toyota sold were small cars. Today, at 2.5 million in sales, only 28 percent of its fleet is small vehicles, while 20 percent are light trucks. Meanwhile, General Motors leads the industry with 23 different models that get over 30 miles per gallon — hardly the resistance to reform that, the senator says, “could’ve saved the industry.”
He also talked about the CAFE standards:
First, he would strengthen federal fuel efficiency (so-called CAFE) laws by an arbitrary four percent a year. Since 1975, CAFE laws requiring that auto fleets average 27.5 mpg have failed miserably. Oil imports as a share of U.S. oil consumption have risen from 35 to 59 percent, and Americans today consume 20-percent more fuel driving twice as many miles.
I have always found this statistic interesting. It falls into the category of "unforeseen consequences of good intentions." But it also leads to another thing--in order to get CAFE standards up, auto makers have had to make cars lighter. I have lost track of the number of complaint's I have heard about plastic bumpers. I would love to see a report or study about the lifespan and safety of our vehicles today as opposed to 20,30 or 40 years ago.
Aside from all of this, I sometimes feel that what is being left out of stories like this is the ultimate question--what is a car? Yes, it sounds like a stupid question, but think about it. Is a car simply a means for transportation, like a bicycle? Or is it something that identifies and describes you personally? When you go and purchase a vehicle, you are likely going to consider things like gas mileage, reliability, etc. But you are also going to take into account the look and feel of the vehicle. Finances not being an issue, you are unlikely to drive a car if your personality fits more with a truck, and vice versa.
Like it or not, the car is a part of American culture. From the Model-T, to the muscle cars of the '60s and '70s, to the SUVs and trucks of today, the car identifies us. It represents the independence that America provides for its citizens. It represents the freedom of movement that is America. Obama and others like him talk about the "responsibility" of the auto dealers and the American people to drive cars that get 45 miles a gallon. But what of the responsibility of the auto dealers, as a business, to make cars that Americans truly want to drive? That's one of the reasons environmentalists create a lot of anger---they're trying to force us to drive ugly cars.
Why can't we keep the "American" car, and work on solutions around that? Instead of "encouraging" Americans to buy brand new vehicles to be responsible, why can't politicians demand a way to convert the cars we have and we like now be more fuel efficient and cut down on the use of fossil fuels? Groups try to push hybrids and low(or under) powered vehicles, but do you think Americans will willfully buy these when they lack power under the hood? Groups try to push cars that run on electricity, and all you have to do is plug your car in at night. But do we really think that Americans are going to want a car they have to plug in at night like they would a cell phone or an iPod? Why not create a prize for the first person/company to find a way to easily and cheaply convert our present cars to run on hydrogen, or methane, or our garbage?
No matter what your opinions are on global warming and the use of fossil fuels, I think everyone can agree about the national security aspect and concerns about oil revenues in the middle east. I'm all for finding alternative fuels, but for American's to follow, cars will need to continue to have power, speed and come in styles that Americans will want to drive.
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