hi george, i agree with your assessment that the big three are better off with the challenge of going chapter 11 and either folding or innovating (or maybe just folding). the thing i haven't heard a good answer to is what happens to the millions of workers that are employed by them? at some point they'll become employed by the companies that pick up the slack from the absence of one or more of the american automakers, but what happens to (out-of-work) employees in the meantime? the damage to individual ego and families' bank accounts will be large.
-marlo On Nov 20, 2008, at 9:22 AM, George Frantz wrote: > See article below. > Last month I was at a conference where two General Motors engineers > made a presentation on their fuel cell vehicle. My jaw seem to be > the only one in the room to drop when one of the GM engineers > nonchalantly mentioned that their European subsidiaries produce and > sell diesel autos that get 50-plus mpg. > So here we are with GM execs arguing that they need billions in > taxpayer funding to save themselves, and the nation too. Meanwhile > they have consciously refused to follow the lead of Volkswagen and > other foreign carmakers and invest a relatively small amount of > capital to upgrade their Europoean diesel engine technology to meet > California air quality standards so we can take advantage of the > same fuel efficient vehicles available in Europe. > Meanwhile Erie, PA is exporting 80 percent of its biodiesel > production to Europe in order to survive due to lack of market here. > I say let them all (or the ****s if you like) go bankrupt and > liquidate their assets to the world's carmakers who can build the > cars we need. We will be better off as a nation without the Big > Three. > George Frantz > ***** > Erie Times News > Film crew on hand as biofuels plant readies large shipment > BY JIM CARROLL > [EMAIL PROTECTED] [more details] > Published: November 19. 2008 12:01AM > Lake Erie Biofuels is ready to ship another 600,000 gallons of > biodiesel overseas from the Port of Erie this week, and the local > company also is getting some new attention. > > > The biodiesel plant at 1670 East Lake Road made history earlier > this month when a jet used its fuel to complete the first biodiesel- > powered flight across the U.S. > > This week, film crews from the National Broadcast Group are > visiting the plant to get material for Shades of Green, a > documentary that is to be shown on the Discovery Channel in February. > > "They chose us because of the unique facility we have here," said > Lake Erie Biofuels laboratory manager Glenn Green. > > The local plant has the ability to use not only soybean oil to make > biodiesel, but also other vegetable oils, discarded restaurant > grease, chicken fat, beef tallow and other materials, and get > consistent quality results. > > The biodiesel to be loaded in a freighter bound for Europe this > week, for example, was made from canola oil, said company Chief > Financial Officer Chris Peterson. > > The company doesn't often use canola oil because it is more > expensive than soybean oil and is in more direct competition with > uses for human food products. But it has better properties for > winter biodiesel use. > > Its usual feed stock -- soybean oil -- on the other hand, is a > byproduct of crushing soybeans for the soymeal that goes into human > and animal food products, Peterson said. "Until the biodiesel > industry came about, it was a waste product for them to a certain > extent." > > Lake Erie Biofuels has a capacity to produce 45 million gallons of > biodiesel a year. It has been operating at 60 to 70 percent after > running at 90 percent for most of the summer, Peterson said. > > Nationwide, the biodiesel industry operated at about 20 percent > capacity in 2007, Peterson said. > > European exports have pumped up the local plant's production, > taking about 80 percent of the biodiesel it produces. But local > officials hope that will change. > > Federal requirements for petroleum companies to mix at least 500 > million gallons of renewable fuels into their diesel and heating > oil are expected to increase demand for biodiesel in 2009. Plus > states, such as Pennsylvania, will require a 2 percent blend of > biodiesel into heating oil and diesel fuel once infrastructure for > the new fuel is in place. > > Peterson said the goal of Lake Erie Biofuels has always been to > supply biodiesel for heating oil and diesel fuel for the Northeast > part of the country.. > > "That was our intended market from day one," he said. > > "What we hope to do is wean off the European exports in the next 12 > to 18 months. We project instead of exporting 80 percent, to maybe > get that down to 50 percent over the next 12 to 18 months." > > > > JIM CARROLL can be reached at (814) 724-1716, 870-1727 or by e-mail. > > > > > > > _______________________________________________ > For more information about sustainability in the Tompkins County > area, please visit: http://www.sustainabletompkins.org/ > > RSS, archives, subscription & listserv information for: > [email protected] > http://lists.mutualaid.org/mailman/listinfo/sustainabletompkins > free hosting by http://www.mutualaid.org Marlo Capoccia Garden Gate www.gardengatedelivery.com 607 342 6228 “You don’t ever want a crisis to go to waste; it’s an opportunity to do important things that you would otherwise avoid.” Rahm Emanuel _______________________________________________ For more information about sustainability in the Tompkins County area, please visit: http://www.sustainabletompkins.org/ RSS, archives, subscription & listserv information for: [email protected] http://lists.mutualaid.org/mailman/listinfo/sustainabletompkins free hosting by http://www.mutualaid.org
