Oil
GM’s Ransom Note to America
With the president-elect, Congress and the current White House divided on how or if American taxpayers should save the domestic auto industry, General Motors is taking its case directly to the public with this video and accompanying web site. More threat than appeal, the message, in a nutshell, is "Do it, or else."
November 17, 2008
Share Your National Vision With the President-Elect
With the Obama administration indicating that it may counter the current economic slowdown with much-needed infrastructure investment, Transportation for America has issued a letter calling for the president-elect to "lay the groundwork for a clean-energy future that is less dependent on oil."
November 7, 2008
Reason to Like Rahm Emanuel as White House Chief of Staff
Spotted in today's Times story on Barack Obama's emergency economic agenda:
November 7, 2008
Bike-Hating Rep. Patrick McHenry Fends Off Challenger
Congresswoman-elect Kathy Dahlkemper overcame ridicule for her "wacky" notion that Pennsylvanians should try walking and cycling. But down in western North Carolina, voters returned Rep. Patrick McHenry -- shown here mocking, and misrepresenting, the federal bike commuter tax benefit -- to Washington.
November 6, 2008
Ped-Bike Mockery Flops for 7-Term House Incumbent
The National Republican Congressional Committee ran this ad against Democratic challenger Kathy Dahlkemper in the race for Pennsylvania's third congressional district. It hits a few Gingrichian notes on how to address the country's energy problems before the announcer tells us incredulously:
November 5, 2008
Newt Gingrich: I Vant to Suck Your Oil
Before the financial meltdown severely undercut John McCain's presidential ambitions, his campaign was giddy over the apparent success of its energy policy message: Drill, baby, drill!
October 31, 2008
PBS Exposes the Joys of Transit
The latest episode of NOW is surely the most effective takedown of car-dependent planning ever broadcast in news magazine format. Adhering to the familiar contours of pocketbook journalism, "Driven to Despair" starts with a sympathetic portrayal of the Schleighs, a family who moved to a southern California exurb seven years ago. With their adjustable rate mortgage about to reset and gas prices already busting the family budget, they need a way out.
October 10, 2008
Gasoline Shortages Fuel Panic and Rage in the South
Here's a disturbing story from the Associated Press on gas shortages in Asheville, North Carolina, where hot-tempered drivers are waiting in long lines to fill up, only to find in some cases that the pumps are tapped. Asks one flustered motorist:
October 1, 2008
Cartoon Tuesday: Who’s Gonna Keep You Supplied, Man?
From cartoonist Mark Fiore comes this animation of a hyperactive Ziploc baggy. Before clicking through to see why it's so amped up, here's some suggested reading from the New York Times:
September 30, 2008
Jim Kunstler on the Bail Out and What’s Next
Jim Kunstler, author of The Long Emergency, has been predicting today's financial catastrophe for a few years now so it's no surprise that his blog is loading slowly this morning. The people want to know: What's going to happen next?
September 29, 2008