Comments

nuttyprof: It's interesting that you mention Mt. St. Helen's. The sulfur that volcanoes dump into the atmosphere creates a mirror effect that bounces sunlight out of the atmosphere and negates global warming. Global warming is caused by carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. The downside of putting a bunch of sulfur in the atmosphere is that atmospheric sulfur creates acid rain. I don't think the vast majority of climate scientists that believe global warming is real are wrong. GM has a host of problems as a company, as do the other older American auto companies. Those car companies are suffering in part because they're paying health care for both current and a lot of ex-workers. They've also made less reliable cars than foreign car makers for most of the last 30+ years. I think that the way these companies are structured is the problem. Many of the foreign car makers use design companies from the US. Their are dozens of alternate engine designs from American inventors, lighter materials, alternate ways to make cars, largely ignored by the American car makers. They've become financial companies, not car companies, GM makes more off their loans than they do off their cars. The Volt is an interesting idea, but it's too damn late. Clinton's PNGV gave all the American car companies a leg up on the competition, they chose not to take advantage of it. I don't think we've seen the end of the American auto, but I think it's future is going to be companies like Tesla and Aptera.