Fuel efficient Toyota sales up 11.7% in U.S. – auto industry fights emissions standards

onApr 3, 2007 @ 15:09 PDT

Today’s reported auto-industry numbers, show just how backwards things have become in the fight to reduce oil consumption and reduce C02 emissions.

Yesterday, we reported here on the hypocrisy of the Alliance of Automobile Manufacturer’s fighting a Supreme Court ruling that could enact tough new CO2 emissions standards on cars and trucks, while stating at the same time on their website that, “Members of the Alliance believe that it is prudent to reduce emissions, including carbon dioxide…”

Now today we see that the only really bright light in the latest auto industry report is in the hybrid car market: Toyota Motor Corp. reports a sales increase of 11.7%, boosted by record hybrid sales, while Ford Motor drops 9% and GM drops 4%. “Record U.S. sales of Toyota and Lexus hybrids have now topped the half-million mark,” says Jim Lentz, Toyota executive vice-president.

So let’s get this straight: hybrids reduce CO2 emissions and fuel consumption, the public wants to buy them, so let’s spend our time fighting new vehicle emissions standards!?

And so goes the battle against action on global warming, where even areas of mutual agreeance cannot be tolerated.

By Kevin Grandia

Kevin is a contributor and strategic adviser to DeSmog. He runs the digital marketing agency Spake Media House. Named a “Green Hero” by Rolling Stone Magazine and one of the “Top 50 Tweeters” on climate change and environment issues, Kevin has appeared in major news media outlets around the world for his work on digital campaigning. Kevin has been involved in the public policy arena in both the United States and Canada for more than a decade. For five years he was the managing editor of DeSmogBlog.com. In this role, Kevin’s research into the “climate denial industry” and the right-wing think tank networks was featured in news media articles around the world. He is most well known for his ground-breaking research into David and Charles Koch’s massive financial investments in the Republican and tea party networks. Kevin is the first person to be designated a “Certified Expert” on the political and community organizing platform NationBuilder. Prior to DeSmog, Kevin worked in various political and government roles. He was Senior Advisor to the Minister of State for Multiculturalism and a Special Assistant to the Minister of State for Asia Pacific, Foreign Affairs for the Government of Canada. Kevin also worked in various roles in the British Columbia provincial government in the Office of the Premier and the Ministry of Health. In 2008 Kevin co-founded a groundbreaking new online election tool called Vote for Environment which was later nominated for a World Summit Award in recognition of the world’s best e-Content and innovative ICT applications. Kevin moved to Washington, DC in 2010 where he worked for two years as the Director of Online Strategy for Greenpeace USA and has since returned to his hometown of Vancouver, Canada.

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