Dan Detroit’s Recent Comments

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  Sitting on Boards

  A reasonable comment for a change!

  A board of directors typically is a voting group, Yes, an individual director can be opposed to the majority position of the organization. On Companies not following through on pledge to lobby for carbon reduction posted 1 year, 8 months ago 6 Responses

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  Let's get Really Real

  Wolverine,
  You must be terrified to live in an imaginary world filled by all these  evil people. Pity you are lost in such irrationality. Business men are certainly "in it for the money" just as you are when you go to work, assuming you do work for a living.

  When did the coal companies unionize? About 135 years ago, according to my brief research. Are those evil guys still around? I'll bet they are long dead.
    Karen Silkwood killed? She fell asleep and died in a single car crash.
  "..blood tests performed as part of the autopsy showed Silkwood had 0.35 milligrams of methaqualone (Quaalude) per 100 milliliters of blood at the time of her death. That amount is almost twice the recommended dosage for inducing drowsiness." Appears just as likely that she caused her own death by risky behavior.

  Yet more absurdly unfounded beliefs!On Companies not following through on pledge to lobby for carbon reduction posted 1 year, 8 months ago 6 Responses

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  Legislate Angels dancing on pinheads....

  The truth about the first terrifying "Report" you cite can be found at:
  http://www.fuzzysignals.com/archives/2004/02/index.html

  You spin as a prediction what is actually a "worst case scenario" the military often considers, even though highly unlikely.

  The second report contains this statement:
  "Much higher up the course of the glacier there is evidence of a volcano that erupted through the ice about 2,000 years ago and the whole region could be volcanically active, releasing geothermal heat to melt the base of the ice and help its slide towards the sea."

  Are you now claiming GHG causes volcanism?

  Report 3 may actually support your premise, but does in fact say:
  "Greenland's ice mass has already contributed in part to 20th century sea level rise of about two millimeters per year,..."
  At that rate, we will see a whopping 7.9 inch rise in sea level over the next century.

  None of this supports the notion that humans are the cause of the almost certainly natural warming and cooling cycles that ebb and flow over geologic time. You do know that in the ancient past, there were no ice caps at all, don't you?

  Never let real science get in the way of your emotions!   On A safety valve in Lieberman-Warner is senseless posted 1 year, 8 months ago 24 Responses

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  Detroit's problems are well documented

  You may be right about #1 & #3, but if you look at the market segments where the Japanese have expanded the most, you will note that they are larger, more powerful vehicles. Camry, Tundra, all Lexus.  Honda Civic is now larger than original Accord. Accord has more power than Corvettes did not that long ago.

  The current quality of vehicles produced by GM & Ford rival the best (Toyota) and exceed other Japanese (Subaru per your example)quality levels as well as almost all Europeans as measured by independent J.D. Power.

  The Prius captured a whopping 1.1% of the 2007 U.S. market.  They do sell a lot of Camrys & some Tundras, which you may note get poorer fuel economy than GM counterparts. Honda quietly dropped the Accord Hybrid due to slow (non-existant)sales.

  The real reason we don't import European models is because no one (maybe the 1% who like the Prius)will buy them, and most can not meet U.S. safety standards particularly for rear collisions. Over half (57%) of the U.S. sales in 2007 were trucks.

  BTW-How could the Detroit 3 have gotten universal health car (& what makes you think they don't want it?) if they can't vote and are reviled for even hiring lobbyists to express their views?

  You really have no idea what you are talking about with regard to the EVI.  Waiting lines to lease are the myth here.  Even though GM spent many millions to develop the car, battery technology was inadequate, not to speak of the huge loss incurred on every one.  GM (and the illustrious Toyota) are banking on a breakthrough in battery technology to enable plug-ins by 2010.

  These are facts, not lies, not even spin.  The Detroit 3 are not led by stupid men, they are not maliciously refusing you the cars you want. They are simply business people who have to make a buck to survive.

  More importantly - motor vehicles contribute only .5% (14% of total human contribution) of the annual CO2 emissions to the atmosphere and do not deserve the place of infamy you assign to them.On GM exec defends calling climate change a 'crock of shit' posted 1 year, 8 months ago 26 Responses

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  You bet I am worked up!

  Good job!  You are right about me being worked up!I fear for the future of my industry and my country! I am saddened and dismayed by the lack of technical validity in the arguments here. I even have to agree with the comment that product quality has been a huge part of GM's (& Ford's & Chrysler's) problem. Although I promise you that I understand the issues and causes from the plant floor to the showroom floor.  

  I know that I, as a 38 year experienced automotive engineer, am very unlikely to get any respect here. I know that you are extremely presumptuous that only you see the light while having little or no technical knowledge. I do guarentee that I have written no lies though. Please tell me what you think is a lie, if you can avoid bringing up Limbaugh in your rational commentary.
  On GM exec defends calling climate change a 'crock of shit' posted 1 year, 8 months ago 26 Responses