Lutz stands by remarks on GW

[lectrobyte]

http://www.reuters.com/article/latestCrisis/idUSN22372976

DETROIT, Feb 22 (Reuters) - General Motors Corp (GM.N: Quote, Profile, Research) Vice Chairman Bob Lutz has defended remarks he made dismissing global warming as a "total crock of shit," saying his views had no bearing on GM's commitment to build environmentally friendly vehicles.

[mitchtv]

1. I was thinking of a Chevy next time

Now, not so much.
right now we have an AMC and a Ford. Old fashioned , I guess.

This guy is a typical republican, he doesn't believe in anything really. Look at the shape he has GM in, eerily similar to the shape the country is in.

[diane in sf]

2. Me too, but realistically Toyota will probably have a plug-in before GM. They

are just a lot more together and are a much bigger company.

[mitchtv]

3. Have you seen the Chevy Volt?

I believe it comes out in '09. Lithium batteries plug in. Looks like camaro/vette. I like the Cooper too. SF is perfect for plug in.

[lectrobyte]

6. I'll be due for a different vehicle in 2010 or so, I hope the Volt is in

production, but I'm not holding my breath. Assuming I can afford one, I'd be more than happy to pony up the $$$, but at $35K, it is rapidly getting out of my budget.

http://blog.wired.com/cars/2008/02/wipers-stereo-p.html

[OKIsItJustMe]

4. Anybody interested in what he actually wrote?

http://fastlane.gmblogs.com/archives/2008/02/talk_about_a_cr.html#more

...

Instead of simply assailing me for expressing what I think, they should be looking at the big picture. What they should be doing, in earnest, is forming opinions not about me but about GM, and what this company is doing that is — and will continue to be — hugely beneficial to the very causes they so enthusiastically claim to support.

General Motors is dedicated to the removal of cars and trucks from the environmental equation, period. And, believe it or don’t: So am I! It’s the right thing to do, for us, for you and, yes, for the planet. My goal is to take the automotive industry out of the debate entirely. GM is working on just that – and we’re going to keep working on it — via E85, hybrids, hydrogen and fuel cells, and the electrification of the automobile.

The Chevrolet Volt program is occurring under my personal watch, because I -- and others in senior management -- believe in it. I fully expect that it will revolutionize the automotive industry, and I’m committed to seeing it successfully developed and in showrooms.

We're going forward with these programs because it makes good sense to do so — common sense. If it’s doable, why wouldn’t we do it? It would lead to nothing but good things: energy independence, lower emissions, and better air. Isn’t that what we all want?

...

[hatrack]

5. Which is rather like saying you're dedicated to the removal of wind from the kite-flying equation

Oh, and then there's the obligatory "energy independence" reference just for good measure.

Let me know when the Revolutionary New GM Automobile reaches the showroom, OK? Until such time, I have better things to do than eagerly scanning the press release links at GM for Mr. Lutz's latest effusion.

[OKIsItJustMe]

7. I don't have that kind of time either

However, when I see just a lead paragraph, I have a sneaking suspicion that there's more to the story.

In this case, Lutz did not go off on some spiel about Global Warming (as implied by the OP.)

[lectrobyte]

8. Implying nothing. Just quoting the headline and the first paragraph of the article

Actually, the headline was "GM exec stands by calling global warming a crock", I shortened it a bit. Assumed if anyone was interested, they'd go read the article in its entirety.

[OKIsItJustMe]

9. Sorry, didn't mean to lay it all at your feet

We all know that the "News Media" (Reuters included) like a good story. I seldom trust them to get a scientific story straight. I tend not to trust them in a case like this either.

Reuter's original headline, "GM exec stands by calling global warming a 'crock'" is misleading. (Emphasis added by me.)

http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/stand%20by

...
transitive verb: to remain loyal or faithful to : defend <stood by his decision>

If you read his actual blog posting, Talk About a Crock…, he didn't make any effort to defend his view, he didn't even restate it, he simply wrote that it's irrelevant.

... My opinions on the subject — like anyone’s — are immaterial. Really. ...

Reading the headline and lead paragraph, I'd expected to see some diatribe.

Not finding one, I'm left wanting to know more about the context of his original remark.