The truth at last
it is an affirmation that has shaken the automobile industry to its core. And it comes from the most unexpected quarters. Ford Motor Company recently confessed that its most lucrative range of sport-utility vehicles ( suv s) also cause the most serious environmental problems. This irrefutable statement comes after decades of outright denial by the auto industry of any damaging side-effects of its vehicles.
In its first "corporate citizenship report' the company stated that such vehicles contributed more than cars to global warming, emitted more smog-causing pollution and endangered the safety of other motorists due to their size and weight. "Most people say they're environmentally conscious. The real key is, how you are willing to back it up,' says the report.
Commenting on the move, William Ford Jr, Ford's 43-year-old chairperson and great-grandson of Henry Ford, said: "The court of public opinion sometimes decides before you are ready for them to decide, and I want to make sure we are ready and ahead ofthe curve.' He expressed his concern that automakers would gain a reputation similar to that of big tobacco companies if they ignored the environmental and safety problems caused by the suvs.
Applauding Ford's fortitude in coming out with the truth, the Business for Social Responsibility, a corporate group in San Francisco, stated that the automobile giant's voluntary admission that it faces an awkward situation because its most profitable products do not meet its goals for social responsibility has few parallels.
On the other hand, with its latest move Ford has gained a sure footing with the environmentalists and road safety activists. "While this isn't quite the fall of the Berlin Wall, we applaud Ford's recognition of the environmental and safety problems posed by the suv s,' said Sierra Club lobbyist Daniel Becker.
Already market observers feel that the industry will now be constantly monitored by environmentalists who will now make sure that Ford gets all the backing it may require to implement any of its future
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