Is Going Green a Fad?

[VersaMG08]

I was doing well with everything you said until you got to your last sentence. Companies make products that the marketplace wants, then sells them at a price where people will want those products and still make a profit for their shareholders, their employees and to reinvest in making new products. You standard of living would diminish significantly if you decided to put controls on the so called greedy companies as any incentive to be in business starts to go away. So, if you feel that something is overpriced then do not buy it. If others do the same, the product goes away or becomes priced at a point where you will buy. Simple economics 101. Capitalism is what makes the USA stand out over other countries that are more socialist. Fred

Agreed. I don't understand why people voted for Obama in the first place. I don't care for the guy myself.

[grogman]

Agreed. I don't understand why people voted for Obama in the first place. I don't care for the guy myself.

hey milehigh......quit talking about politics okay yur looking silly.......all republicanites are upset because you have had poor choices for leaders and the leaders that have been there messed it up for the rest of them so quit talking about obama or palin or miss california okay.........it is what it is i didn't vote cuz i am not happy with either party.if obama does well i will vote for him and so will most of your constituents it's just how it works man so shadap about obama...........keep talking about economic changes energy source changes green whatever we don't care if you are a republican okay..........geez.

[VersaMG08]

hey milehigh......quit talking about politics okay yur looking silly.......all republicanites are upset because you have had poor choices for leaders and the leaders that have been there messed it up for the rest of them so quit talking about obama or palin or miss california okay.........it is what it is i didn't vote cuz i am not happy with either party.if obama does well i will vote for him and so will most of your constituents it's just how it works man so shadap about obama...........keep talking about economic changes energy source changes green whatever we don't care if you are a republican okay..........geez.

I never said I was republican. Even if I was, it wouldn't matter to you. I'm just not thrilled with the size of the government and all the programs he's signed into law (i.e. stimulus, auto manufacture bailouts etc) I thought if a company can't survive on its own, it files for bankruptcy like they ought to. Isn't that what capitalism is all about? They shouldn't get a handout from the government and expect it to get better right away, that's socialism. Everybody is treated equally without achievement or failure.

[Andrews Chalmers]

Quote » I thought if a company can't survive on its own, it files for bankruptcy like they ought to. Isn't that what capitalism is all about? They shouldn't get a handout from the government and expect it to get better right away, that's socialism. Everybody is treated equally without achievement or failure.[/quote]Hate to break it to ya - the United States has never been a pure capitalist country in your lifetime.

In re bankruptcy of the large auto-companies? Unfortunately they also employ thousands of employees and subcontract with hundreds of other companies. Full blown Chapter 11 or even Chapter 7 = massive social problems that the government will have to intervene to deal with anyway.

[frankoV]

changes in events in cultural habits isn't the same as free enterprise give the people what they want. the most inexpensive way for energy companies to supply for all is gasoline right now. driving cars in our part of the world is a priviledge..........someday it will be a luxury. abortion and sexual expression are a sociotal thing not a business thing..............

too much to disagree with in one go, so I'll just look at your last comment and suggest that everything is a business thing. There is big money in abortion clinics, for example . . . they are not performed as a humanitarian gift. "Big business" changes culture by its very nature -- things are invented not because people want the things but because it is a way to make money.

Do we really need a bigger and better cell phone [do we need a cell phone period? but that's another discussion]? the things keep getting fancier -- and we keep buying them -- and our culture has changed because of them.

[VersaMG08]

too much to disagree with in one go, so I'll just look at your last comment and suggest that everything is a business thing. There is big money in abortion clinics, for example . . . they are not performed as a humanitarian gift. "Big business" changes culture by its very nature -- things are invented not because people want the things but because it is a way to make money.

Do we really need a bigger and better cell phone [do we need a cell phone period? but that's another discussion]? the things keep getting fancier -- and we keep buying them -- and our culture has changed because of them.

True that...If we didn't invent or evolve any technology, we might as well be stuck living in the 1700s. No electricity, running water, automobiles etc. It's like living in a 3rd world country. Would you like that? Most of you wouldn't.

[grogman]

al this will change when the profit margins are good enough....period........the feds can't point a gun @ big oil and tell them to introduce green energy solutions or else....it hasn't worked that way and for example we have 5000 commercial planes flying over us in the morning everyday......more than every country.......the feds did put a stranglehold on passenger train service a while back and it has crippled the rail business.......so that part of government has a powergrip not knowing how they did it and why they did it to rail.........the feds are pro aviation. my brother is a pilot and tells me air service is better because noone owns the skies..........true but most obsolete rail road systems are grandfathered in and can be used if and when the time comes to use them again...........i am pretty sure we will see high speed rail systems in my lifetime...hoping. just a thought. obama adopted all the problems left from the bush admin. period. you have to give the guy time.you gave SCRUB 8 years to screw it up now let's see if obama can turn it around..........if you hope ill will on all of this than you are no better an american than let's say .......a felon. get yur act together.

[srellim234]

Getting back to the topic and how it relates to cars, I think what we're seeing here in the U.S. is just the evolution of business. Toyota, Honda, Nissan, etc. did a better job of balancing more efficient vehicles with larger, more profitable vehicles. They're in a better position in the U.S. to offer small cars quickly when energy prices go up because they promoted and offerred them even when they weren't the most popular cars around. With a perception (it doesn't matter whether it's real or imagined) of better quality in the small car market.

New technologies will continue to come out slowly. Natural gas (Honda), electric (Nissan), hybrid (Toyota) all give those companies a lead in the publicity war, too. The American companies got caught flat-footed and now just look like "me, too" companies when they try to get into those markets.

The big leaps in technology are going to come from small grassroots efforts like those companies putting out the Tesla and the Aptera. If the public expresses an interest to the point that it might be profitable for a big company to explore incorporating those technologies into their cars then it will become mainstream. Otherwise, it won't happen.

[fjwagner]

srellim234

+1

Nice post. Private industry will drive change by making products people want to buy and can afford to buy. Fred