During a closed-door session with reporters in January, Bob Lutz, General Motors’ vice chairman, said that global warming is a “total crock of shit,” dmagazine.com reports (via BusinessGreen). Then he added: “I’m a skeptic, not a denier.”
GM PR executive Dee Allen was on hand. Unfortunately, we don’t know what might have gone through her mind at that moment. Allen later said that Lutz’s comment was a personal opinion, rather than a reflection of GM’s values.
Lutz also said that hybrid cars like those made by Toyota “make no economic sense,” because their price will never come down, and diesel autos like those touted by Chrysler are also uneconomic.
Lutz has overseen an increased focus on the development of low carbon vehicles at GM, BusinessGreen reports.
Yesterday, on GM’s Fast Lane blog, Lutz responded to the criticism his words have raised in a blog post titled “Talk About a Crock…”
“An offhand comment I made recently about the concept of global warming seems to have a lot of people heated, and it’s spreading through the Internet like ragweed,” Lutz wrote. “But I think that the people making big deal out of it are missing the real point. My beliefs are mine and I have a right to them, just as you have a right to yours. But among my strongest beliefs is that my job is to do what makes the most business sense for GM. Never mind what I said, or the context in which I said it. My thoughts on what has or hasn’t been the cause of climate change have nothing to do with the decisions I make to advance the cause of General Motors. ”
Lutz might be focusing on the wrong part of the story. What’s most interesting here is his seeming surprise that when GM’s vice chairman tells a group of reporters that global warming is a crock of shit, people are going to talk about it.
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Comments
Global Warming is no longer a topic of debate or “opionion” - it is scientific fact per the consensus of scientific experts. So is naive at best, and downright irresponsile for industry leaders like Mr. Lutz to deny it and call it a “crock of sh**” ! Hope he realizes how stupid this is - since expressing an “opinion” about Global warming is like expressing an “opinion” that the world is flat or that the sun goes around the earth. We know who or what is full of sh** !
Ron February 22nd, 2008Well Ron, ya gots the facts backwards.It is not a proven theory,and is still only opinions on both sides of the table.
Thomas E, Harley,Sr. February 22nd, 2008I do think you are trying,like so many others,to stiffle the rights of free speach by deniying opposing partys to express thier opinions .
And why,oh why, do “your kind” always bring up those old sayings–the world is flat,the sun revolves around the earth?????
It’s the same thing as you saying,God will punish you,you are going to hell. To this I say,,–”Only according to YOUR God”.
BTW, Have you flown ib an airplane around the world, and witnessed the roundness of the earth,or are you just voiceing your “opinion” of what others have told you.Have you traveled into space and observed the earth circumnavigating the sun,or are you takeing someone elses’ word for it.
Have you witnessed this glowbull warming,or are you takeing it as gospel,according to those who would profit from it.
Paid for opinions are just so so.Which way it learns toward will depend on which side paid for that opinion.
I honestly believe Mr. Lutz has nailed it with his true feelings and honest opinion on the matter.
Sign me-Citizen Joe
Tom–Thomas E. Harley,Sr
Ron,
Will February 23rd, 2008Years ago, it was considered a scientific fact “per the consensus of scientific experts” that the world was flat. Anyone expressing doubts regarding that was dismissed as being “stupid” by the sheep who were so willing to be led by the “experts.”
The problem with global warming skeptics is that they trumpet that global warming is a crock of shit before they can prove it isn’t.
Jay February 24th, 2008I meant “before they can prove it is”. All scientific theories are assumed to be falsifiable, however, if a majority of scientists accept the theory, than the theory stands until it can be proven false. The analogy of the Flat Earth theory is a poor one because someone actually proved it false. The skeptics of Global Warming haven’t proved that it is false, they just trumpet that it is a crock of shit before they have proved anything.
Jay February 24th, 2008The American Petroleum Institute has already put a lot of money into think tanks to keep trying to bolster a skeptical stance toward global warming regardless of whether the science behind global warming is sound. Just shows how Global Warming skeptics are a crock of shit most of the time.
http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=American_Petroleum_Institute
Jay February 24th, 2008Thank GOD some one had the guts to point out “The emperor has no clothes.” I have survived a great many “coming disasters” in the last sixty years, but none as baseless and silly as “Global Warming.”
Pat Bratton February 24th, 2008Mr. Lutz: You are correct! The “global warming” panic is a fraud. See http://www.oism.org/pproject/GWReview_OISM300.pdf for an excellent treatment of the subject by knowledgeable climate scientists. This paper has over 130 references, and is sound.
“Carbon” legislation and other measures to reduce CO2 concentration will have no measurable effect on climate, because the human-caused content is miniscule, compared to natural phenomena. And CO2 is a minor greenhouse gas.
Alarmists’ computer models fall far short of accurately representing the complex climate. Therefore their predictions are flawed. How can people believe these dire predictions of global disaster years in the future, when forecasters can’t even tell us what the weather will be in the next few hours?
You are to be admired for stating your correct opinion. More corporate leaders need to come forth too.
Reducing our dependence on foreign oil, and taking steps to develop advanced technology vehicles are good things. Being good stewards of our planet is also a good thing. But doing these things in the name of “reducing global warming” is ludicrous.
James Boomer February 24th, 2008This seems to follow GM’s trend towards demise. Regardless of one’s opinion of Global Warming, it is almost impossible to argue against our hugh dependency on fossil fuels. Mr. Lutz will soon be out of business as many of us will be driving hybrids, alternative fuel vehicles, or taking mass transit. Goodby GM!
Laura Bourg February 25th, 2008Lutz should resign.
Pablo February 25th, 2008If I were a stockholder of GM, I would not be very happy. A person in this position is deciding policy for the company and it is naive to think that personal opinions don’t influence corporate strategic decisions. His statement here alienates many of the customers who GM is courting with their own hybrids, Chevy Volt etc. Customers have and do pay a premium for these products. It’s a little ironic for these customers to pay this premium to a company whose top executive (in essence) insults them for paying this premium.
Frank February 25th, 2008One more reason never to purchase a crock of ^&*% GM product.
Nick February 25th, 2008It’s these ignorant, old school, brain farters that run the American economy and keep us behind the rest of the world when it comes to the next wave of business akin to the Industrial Revolution; the Sustainability Revolution.
This man deserves to lose his position.
Jorge February 25th, 2008Global Warming is no longer a topic of debate or “opionion” - it is scientific fact per the consensus of scientific experts. So is naive at best, and downright irresponsile for industry leaders like Mr. Lutz to deny it and call it a “crock of sh**” !
Ha, global average temperature has been dropping NOT increasing look it up…. Every since the last el nino the average temperature has dropped , yes its very little but the point is its dropping NOT going up..HA what a joke, there has also been a cooling trend since 1975 how is that? CO2 has only been increasing but the average temp is NOT go up up up hmmmmmm…
Jay February 25th, 2008To any skeptics of global warming: http://www.ipcc.ch/ Please take the time to do some research. I am a 19 year old college student. I’ve taken a class in environmental studies and a class in the sustainable use of water. I’m majoring in natural resource management and alternative energy technology. what i’ve learned is that this country very irresponsibly uses natural resources, which in turn negatively impacts our environment. the general idea is that if we abuse the planet, we alter it’s condition. we are causing the earth system to respond directly by creating an inhospititable environment for humans as well as many other species. i am not a “greenie”, hippie, or tree-hugger, but i do understand what we’re doing to our planet. it is imperative that people take the time to understand why people like Mr. Lutz need to be corrected. Out of curiousity, how many people reviewed the blog following Mr. Lutz’s response to the media outbust on his comment? did it seem extremely biased to anyone else? …interesting how GM might take that course of action in an attempt to redeem their standing with American people.
Nate Damon February 26th, 2008First of all, Most people in this discussion don’t even know how to spell things correctly, let alone bring plausible arguments to the table. Secondly, anyone who has a decent scientific background, like myself, would know that global warming is indeed taking place. If one doesn’t have a basic understanding of the workings of the environment and the chemistry of the atmosphere, they should watch the “Discovery Science Channel” once in a while. This channel offers hard visual and factual evidence about many theories, including global warning.
Cristen February 26th, 2008It’s official. The winter of 2007-2008 now ranks as the coldest since 1966! Oh my Gosh….the climate changes! Sure am glad we have so many informed individuals like Al Gore to help point this out.
Will March 3rd, 2008Global AVERAGE temperature is dropping only because of the disruption of jet stream flows and heat carrying, and cold water transporting ocean currants. The average temperatues in some locations are dropping due to the effects of the fore-stated circumstances, which are attributed directly to human causes which include, but are not limited to, carbon dioxide, sulfur oxides, and nitrous oxides emissions. The heating of the Earth causes patterns of weather to go awry in many ways, from some areas cooling, to some heating, relative to the disturbance of currants such as ” Hadley Cells.” Read up some time, and get some scientific evidence befor you make un-backed remarks. As a sixth-year Civil/Environmental Engineer, I have grounds for argument.
Cristen April 27th, 2008