Kate Woznow
November 16, 2004
Charles Demers

1. Who is organizing this demonstration?

Our local demonstration is being organized by Vancouver based “Jumpstart Ford” Zero- Emissions activists –a coalition of bike activists, environmentalists, anti-war and social justice activists. The Jumpstart Ford campaign is an initiative of two San Francisco based organizations, the Rainforest Action Network and Global Exchange. Check out www.jumpstartford.org for more details.

2. Why are you targeting Ford specifically?

According to the Environmental Protection Agency, an organization which ranks the overall fuel efficiency of major auto manufactures, Ford's SUVs, as a fleet, produce the most greenhouse gas emissions and have the lowest fuel efficiency relative to their competitors.

Ford likes to market itself as an environmental steward, but the company’s credentials ring hollow. For example, Ford’s environmental flagship, the Escape hybrid SUV is dramatically under produced, comprising less than one percent of Ford’s fleet production.

Also, Ford has failed the Canadian public by refusing to voluntarily reduce greenhouse gas emissions from their vehicles by 25% by 2010 in order to meet our Kyoto targets. Canadian taxpayers are subsidizing Ford Canada 's new flexible manufacturing plant in Oakville , but in return, we are asking for a commitment to our environment, public health and the Canadian economy. Fuel-efficient cars not only help lower greenhouse gas emissions, they reduce smog in our cities, and keep the Canadian auto industry competitive by creating new jobs.

3. HBO's famous mobster, Tony Soprano, has been driving an SUV since the first season of the show. Why is the SUV such a potent symbol of consumer sociopathy?

The SUV is a symbol of America 's 21 st century imperialist agenda - as long as we control the world's oil, we control the world. With just five percent of the global population, the U.S. consumes a quarter of the world’s oil - and the governing elites have found it incredibly profitable to keep the population dependent on this liquid drug.

In marketing terms, the SUV is also the new symbol of America 's frontier land - an effort by the auto industry to keep the colonial myth of America 's untouched hinterlands alive. The advertising of the SUV "lifestyle" fits well with the mobster mentality -- I can do whatever I like, so screw everyone else, as long as I have a 10-cylinder engine between my legs. The SUV, however, is a utility vehicle only by name -- a quick trip to the Ford Canada's website (www.ford.ca) confirms this. Click on the Ford Excursion, the leader of Ford's pack of gas guzzling environment destroyers and the following description appears:

"Live large with the 2005 Excursion…The ultimate utility vehicle, the 2005 Excursion is as large as life and anything but utilitarian."

4. Are you calling for a boycott of Ford products?

Yes. Ford is a global leader in manufacturing some of the world’s worst environmental and social problems. North America 's dependence on oil contributes to global warming, job loss, human rights violations, rainforest destruction, and international conflicts. Until Ford cleans up its act and stops producing gas-guzzlers, we are asking consumers to consider a more environmentally friendly alternative.

5. Henry Ford's personal politics were notoriously fascistic and pro-Nazi -- yet years ago, the Ford Company sponsored a network showing of Steven Spielberg's Schindler's List. To what extent is the company still rooted in its reactionary and dangerous political history?

I don't know a lot about Ford's political history - but I do know that Bill Ford Jr. is taking the company down a regressive path in terms of fuel efficiency.

For example, until this year, Ford had nearly 3000 electric vehicles on the road, mostly in California where residents and governments have installed solar panels to power their cars. Ford has not only discontinued these vehicles; but to add insult to injury, they are requiring existing EV drivers to return their electric Rangers and Th!nk city vehicles so that they can be dismantled

And, in September 2004, CEO Bill Ford Jr. wrote a letter to California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, to lobby for a veto on a bill encouraging more fuel-efficient and low-emission cars on California ’s highways. Check out www.jumpstartford.org for a copy of the letter.

6. One of the worries with any campaign that targets a specific company is that you are inadvertently promoting their competitors. Who are the other big offenders in the SUV world?

SUVs in general are a problem -- on average they produce 44% more greenhouse gas emissions than cars. Strategically, we believe that if we secure a commitment by Ford (the "worst" of the group) to improve the fuel efficiency of their vehicles, we can start to raise the bar higher for the auto manufacturing industry as a whole. Check out www.changingtheclimate.org to learn more about the most destructive SUVs currently on the market.

7. What are some examples of practical environmental steps that we should be campaigning for and organizing around?

For starters, choose a more sustainable method of transportation -- walk, bike, skateboard, roller-bade, ride a bus. If you must drive, carpool, join a car co-op, invest in an electric car.

Next, petition your decision makers to invest in better urban infrastructure, to stop transit fare hikes, and to invest in greener energy. Also, join the Sierra Club of Canada's appeal to the federal government to legislate that car companies manufacture vehicles that meet Canada 's Kyoto standards for fuel efficiency.

And, of course attend our rally on Thursday, November 18th!

The demonstration will be held at the Coastal Ford dealership on Main and 17th in Vancouver on Thursday, November 18th at 10 a.m.

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