Eco-driving?

Yesterday, I was at the downtown Secretary of State office and since it is an unspoken requirement to wait, I had the opportunity to watch the wonderful programming on the TV monitor that everyone is subjected to.

It makes sense to run informational pieces about voter registration and other services that the Secretary of State offers, but the rest of the programming was nothing more than propaganda pieces.

Eco-driving

One of the spots that were running on the Secretary of State TV monitors was an ad promoting what was called eco-driving. Eco-Driving USA is a project by 11 automobile companies that is trying to win back some public confidence by promoting some “eco-friendly” driving tips.

The tips they offer are things that the industry as been promoting for years, but once you call them green or eco-friendly, then it seems more important. Some of the tips include keeping your tires inflated, gradual stops and starts, use cruise control and plan your trips ahead of time. While individual motorists might save a little on gas costs, these tips are not really designed to promote sustainability in any meaningful sense.

First, let us remember who is behind this – the auto industry. The auto industry is one of the most powerful lobby sectors in Washington and has fought the federal government for decades to limit any kind of regulation that would call for serious fuel efficiency standards. The auto industry has spent over $142 million in the past 20 years to influence federal policy.

The auto industry has also was a major player in destroying much of the mass transit this country had between the 1920s & 40’s (see Taken for a Ride). This was an actual conspiracy by General Motors and the Firestone Tire Company to buy up most of the mass transit in order to force people to buy cars. The US Justice Department actually fined the companies for this criminal conspiracy, but the fines were only $5,000 per company, a mere drop in the bucket to the billions they have made.

Second, the tips the auto industry is suggesting will not reduce the amount of car manufacturing, driving, road construction, car crashes, automobile deaths, and parking lots that car ownership perpetuates. In essence, the eco-driving tips they offer are a best a band-aide to the world’s environmental problems, but more likely a distraction from more systemic changes.

Third, real eco-driving would involve riding bicycles or the use of mass transit. However, these tips are not included from the auto industry, since both bicycle use and mass transit would have a negative impact on their profits. Profits, as we all know, is the bottom line in terms of what motivates the auto industry, not safety or environmental protection.

Finally, it should be mentioned that maybe the reason that the Secretary of State’s office was running this promotional piece for the auto industry is because Governor Jennifer Granholm can be found on the Eco-driving USA website (click on the state icon).

Granholm touts the same kinds of tips for drivers as the website does and adds one of her own tips – “when you are not using the golf clubs take them out of the trunk of your car to lighten the load.” If one needed further evidence that Granholm is more interested in supporting the auto industry than working people, that statement should be added to the list.