Chrysler attacks ‘quasi-hysterical Europeans’ on climate change.
By on Jan 10th, 2007 at 1:44 pm
Chrysler attacks ‘quasi-hysterical Europeans’ on climate change.
At a private breakfast panel, Chrysler’s chief economist Van Jolissaint “launched a fierce attack on ‘quasi-hysterical Europeans’ and their ‘Chicken Little’ attitudes to global warming,” the BBC reports. “In response to a question from the floor,” Jolissaint also said that “global warming was a far-off risk whose magnitude was uncertain.”
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Those hysterical Euro’s, jeez, they even take like a couple hours for lunch. How dare they consider the human quality of life.
January 10th, 2007 at 1:45 pmIt would be interesting to know if Van Jolissaint owns any beachfront property…
January 10th, 2007 at 1:46 pmperhaps when the sky falls, and the ocean levels rise they will listen. woohoo!
January 10th, 2007 at 1:46 pmNo problem Chrysler, just don’t sell them cars. That’ll teach em.
January 10th, 2007 at 1:48 pmIn related stories:
Joe Camel claimed today that “equating cigarette smoking with heart disease and cancer is just those fancy doctor folks trying to apply guilt by association.”
Also -
Hal I. Burton, spokesperson for KBR, came out against the president’s troop “surge” plan as being unnecessary and anti-capitalistic. Mr. Burton stated “I personally know thousands of our employees who are more than willing to step up to the additional resource needs of the ICP (Iraq Conquest Project) and would be willing to do it for three to five times the cost of what would be required to perform the “surge” with the volunteer force.”
January 10th, 2007 at 1:58 pmThose crazy Europeans. How dare they not buy tons of over-priced, highly-profitable, gas-guzzling SUVs? Don’t they know that the job of Chryslers economists are at stake? DOn’t they know that corporate mark-ups and profit margins are MUCH more important that customer wants/demand/confidence/satisfaction?
January 10th, 2007 at 1:58 pmThats good. Try to sell Europeans American cars by acting like an “ugly American”. No that’s a smart business man.
January 10th, 2007 at 1:59 pmComing soon the Chrysler WaveRider. Gets 20 nautical miles to the gallon. A glass bottom panel comes standard so you can look at your old beachhouse.
January 10th, 2007 at 2:01 pm#8 – dlet ~~BWAAAAAAAAHHAHAHAHAHAH!
January 10th, 2007 at 2:04 pmNo wonder the American automakers profits are in the toilet and the Asian and European market is skyrocketing!!!
A far-off risk? Compared to what, his yearly bonus?
January 10th, 2007 at 2:17 pmVERY INTERESTING quote from Mr. “not-so” Jollisaint:
But, I thought, er, we were told to worry about shortages, and…
…that’s why the prices/profits are so high.
January 10th, 2007 at 2:21 pmThat’s right, defend the Europeans with some chicken little attitudes of your own…
January 10th, 2007 at 2:21 pmAhh, 20wordsorless. As usual, you bring absolutely nothing to the conversation.
January 10th, 2007 at 2:24 pmIt would be interesting to know if Van Jolissaint owns any beachfront property…
Comment by TripMaster Monkey
I suppose you think this comment is bringing something to the conversation.
January 10th, 2007 at 2:36 pmComment by 20wordsorless — January 10, 2007 @ 2:21 pm
You should really make that “0wordsorfewer”, that would be more correct.
January 10th, 2007 at 2:47 pmIt would be interesting to know if Van Jolissaint owns any beachfront property…
Comment by TripMaster Monkey
I agree. If he owns property where he estimates the water will reach after the icecaps melt then he would have a reason to not guide his company in an environmentally friendly manner.
Thanks for adding to the conversation Trip.
January 10th, 2007 at 2:47 pm20wordsorless sez:
Yes, actually, I do.
Global warming. Rising sea levels. Beachfront property.
Get it, dolt?
Now, if you want to contribute to the conversation, instead of attempting to derail it like you usually do, you might try to dredge up some references to support your asinine assertion that expressing concern about global climate change is expressing ‘chicken little attitudes’.
In short, put up or shut up.
January 10th, 2007 at 2:48 pmDoes anyone here drive a chrysler? I’ll never own one for the rest of my life, even if they oneday are somehow named vehicle of the year.
Why should anyone listen to a Chrysler official? Chrysler is a manufacturer of self-destructing P.O.S. cars. Why would they be concerned with the future of the environment when their cars aren’t even built to last until the end of this decade?
January 10th, 2007 at 2:49 pmMaybe the Sky isn’t falling, but
January 10th, 2007 at 2:58 pmthe Sea’s, they’re ‘a rising.
Another reason not to own an American GM, Ford, or Chrysler product.
Why would anyone pay for a piece of crap planned obsolescence mobile anyway, that depriciates 10 – 20% the nanosecond you drive it new off the lot? That will start rattling falling apart at 70K miles?
Even Motor Trend magazine cannot hold their noise on GM and Ford anymore in their reviews, they don’t even damn with faint praise anymore, they downright dismiss them for underpowered, underengineered pieces of crap they are.
I drive a 1991 Mercedes 300E (120,000 miles) and 1995 Volvo 850 turbo, (65,000 miles) both of which with careful care will run like new for another 10 – 15 years from today.
I once bought a brand new Pontiac in 1978. At 12,000 miles the paint started peeling. GM refused to warrant or fix it. This was what became known as a whole generation of peeling GM vehicles. The silver/platinum color was the worst. Wanna guess what color mine was??
January 10th, 2007 at 3:05 pmJust wrote the following to Crystler HQ, it’s European branch offices and no.1 car show in the world Top Gear:
Quasi-hysterical crazy European demanding clarification of offending car company
According to your chief economist Van Jolissaint, I am a so called quasi-hysterical
crazy European. I will sue your company for being so offending and will make sure to
make a fair amount of effort of anti-commercials for Chrystler. I will also write
your European branch offices and ridicule them and any European driving in your gas
guzzling and earth destroying POS cars. I’ll write the no.1 car show of the world
Top Gear to make sure they will cover this insane remark of your company! I think it
is about time for you guys to or go bankrupped or take a crash course marketing.
With the lowest regards,
Niels
January 10th, 2007 at 3:06 pmSounds like Chrysler is in competition to win a Darwin award. You know – you don’t adapt; instead you just self-destruct and take yourself out of the gene pool. Chrysler is announcing its intention to take itself out of the corporate “gene” pool. If numbers of followers determined the power of a religion, stupidity would be the Most Holy of all the world’s faiths and those who dismiss the overwhelming evidence for global warming would be in the priesthood.
January 10th, 2007 at 3:07 pmYou sound a little sensitive Tripmaster. As usual you launch into name calling and personal attacks against anything that smacks of opposition. How dare I post a comment that implies I don’t agree with your global warming extremism. How preposterous of me! Since when is the burden on me to provide references and sources? Do you make the rules here? This is not the forum for meaningful discussion. This is only a featurette with a mud puddle at the bottom. It bothers the hell out of you that there are people out there that don’t agree with you doesn’t it? Well deal with it.
January 10th, 2007 at 3:08 pm#8…ROTFLMAO!!
January 10th, 2007 at 3:13 pm20wordsorless sez:
Sounds like more projection issues, dolt.
First of all, I believe your post, in which you characterized us as ‘chicken littles’, came before mine, thanks.
Second, you know that ‘dolt’ is just our pet name for you…much shorter than ‘20wordsorless’, and oh-so much more descriptive. You sound a litle sensitive…
I agree fully. Preposterous.
Of course, if you could find even a shred of credible information with which to back up your claims, it wouldn’t be nearly as preposterous, but you don’t do corroboration, do you?
Since it is you that are advancing a viewpoint that is at odds with the entire scientific community.
No, dolt, I don’t make the rules. These ‘rules’ are the rules of rational debate. I just call people like you out when you think you can ignore them.
Funny…when trolls like you aren’t stinking up the place, we actually get quite a bit of ‘meaningful discussion’ accomplished. Go figure.
That is what you’d like to make it, isn’t it? If not, why are you even here?
What bothers me is that people like you are either unwilling or incapable of engaging in a rational discussion.
I am…I’m dealing quite well with you, aren’t I?
January 10th, 2007 at 3:20 pmIt’s in Chrysler’s interest to deride Global Warming, as GM and Ford have huge leads on them in hybrid and Flex-fuel technology. Does Chrysler even have a hybrid yet?
January 10th, 2007 at 3:20 pmHey,doesn’t everybody go to an economist for a car manufacturer for their global weather information? As for me,I’ll certainly ask my local weatherman for advice on my next car!
January 10th, 2007 at 3:21 pm“That’s right, defend the Europeans with some chicken little attitudes of your own”
20worthlesswords is suddenly pissy about name calling. Your first post is name calling you jackass.
January 10th, 2007 at 3:22 pmKEN, good point. Although the current administration has been practicing this kind of logic for 6+ years.
January 10th, 2007 at 3:25 pmI was a happy little SAAB driver for years until GM acquired the company. Now I’m a happy little Volvo driver; at least Ford has had the good sense to leave them alone.
January 10th, 2007 at 3:34 pmData from the National Climatic Data Center indicates that the average temperature for 2006 was 2.2 degrees higher than the norm and 0.07 degree higher than 1998, the previous warmest year on record. CNN
January 10th, 2007 at 3:37 pmhttp://motherjones.com/index.html
This Guy Can Get 59 MPG in an Accord. Beat That, Punk
January 10th, 2007 at 3:39 pmDrafting 18-wheelers with the engine off, taking death turns at 52 miles an hour, and other lessons learned while riding shotgun with the king of the hypermilers. Dennis Gaffney, Mother Jones
At link above =)
Say isn’t it Daimler Chrysler?
Quite a few europeans drive M Benz.
But really why are they against hybrid technology?
On the eve of the Los Angeles Motor Show, DaimlerChrysler, AUDI and Volkswagen announced that they intend to establish the BLUETEC brand name as the designation for particularly clean, highly fuel-efficient passenger cars and SUVs with diesel engines.
Oh I see, they want to sell diesels.
January 10th, 2007 at 3:44 pmOh I see, they want to sell diesels.
Comment by Zep Tepi
bio diesels … environmentally friendly and plentiful
January 10th, 2007 at 3:57 pmDoes Chrysler even have a hybrid yet?
Comment by Mugsy
I heard they built a car that runs on Regular, Midgrade and Premium Grade gasoline.
January 10th, 2007 at 4:03 pmWe just had a record high over the weekend here in Boston. Previous record happened in 1913.
Question: was it global warming that caused the previous high in 1913?
If no, why do people assume the new record was caused by global warming in 2006 (believe me, the locals definitely are assuming this, including media people)? Isn’t it more likely that it is just the jet stream or some other natural cause?
If yes, then the argument that fossil fuel consumption is driving GW just lost considerable weight.
January 10th, 2007 at 4:21 pmIs this Chrysler’s answer to the Prius? No wonder people are not buying Chryslers. We Americans only want cars that drive like boats and get 5 miles per gallon. Yeah you understand the market.
January 10th, 2007 at 4:32 pmQuestion: was it global warming that caused the previous high in 1913?
Comment by Cynicon Implant
Do you think the whole science of the study of Global Climate Change is based on data from one weekend? I think you need to upgrade your implant….the one you have is outdated.
January 10th, 2007 at 4:35 pm“In response to a question from the floor,†Jolissaint also said that “global warming was a far-off risk whose magnitude was uncertain.â€
Funny that Germany must be one of the few countries that will uniterally take measures against CLIMATE CHANGE. I think Chrysler is pissed…but with those succesful japanese cars taking all the market.
January 10th, 2007 at 4:36 pmbio diesels … environmentally friendly and plentiful
Comment by rachel b
Wrong. You burn ethanol, methanol or corn crops and you still have CO2 that was trapped in the substance and now is released in the atmosphere. And CO2 is a greenhouse gas that contributes to Climate Change. The mechanism that Earth uses to mantain clean its atmosphere is by deposition and we are doing exactly the opposite, we are freeing those substances that were underground. But try to explain this to the Cynicon Implant here…
January 10th, 2007 at 4:41 pmBio-diesal is more re-newable, but still puts pollutants in the atmosphere.
bio diesels … environmentally friendly and plentiful
Comment by rachel b
All of the sudden you are using the words “environmentally friendly”, what does that mean to you?
January 10th, 2007 at 4:55 pm#36
OK lets clear something up right now.
I’m tired of global warming deniers trying to confuse the debate on this.
YES the climate changes on its own, regardless of human activities.
BUT the climate can also be influenced by human activities. In Earth’s past there have been spikes in the amount of CO2 and other greenhouse gasses in the atmosphere caused by natural phenomenon… wildfires, super volcano eruptions etc. Those NATURAL rises in greenhouse gases also cause INCREASES in the average global temperature and in some cases changed the climate.
Do you think the Earth cares whether an increase in CO2 in the atmosphere came from a super volcanic eruption or from 70 million tons of CO2 per day emitted from human activities?
You can’t look at just one record breaking temperature and conclude anything from it. You have to look at trends over years, decades and then centuries and millenia. When we see the trend that we currently see – average temperatures WORLDWIDE rising steadily year after year, record breaking temperatures year after year and then correlate that with a MEASURABLE increase of CO2 in our atmosphere…. what else is there to conclude?
There is no disputing the basic facts:
CO2 is a greenhouse gas – meaning it holds more radiant heat from the Earth than other gases. This is not some “far out” theory, this is a proven fact.
The concentration of CO2 in the atmosphere has been steadily increasing since the industrial revolution – this is also a FACT.
So taking the two facts above together what is the INEVITABLE outcome?
January 10th, 2007 at 6:37 pmIf global warming isn’t a threat, then why are Japan, China, India and France building nuclear power plants like crazy? Obviously those countries are concerned about burning fossil fuels and the impact to the environment. I’d give their actions more weight than anything Big Oil has to say.
January 10th, 2007 at 6:45 pmJolissaint also said that “global warming was a far-off risk whose magnitude was uncertain.”
So let’s err on the side of stupidity. Typical neocon.
January 10th, 2007 at 8:04 pmChrysler attacks ‘quasi-hysterical Europeans’ on climate change.
So, now, taking our own decissions without the consent of a strongly biased foreing car manufacturer is being ‘quasi-hysterical’? What makes this idiot angry is that in Europe the figure of a lobbyist is considered strongly unethical, and thus they have no saying in european policy…
January 11th, 2007 at 6:56 amLet’s take what he says and pretend he may know what he is talking about (he doesn’t).
If the magnitude is uncertain, shouldn’t you err on the side of caution?
I’d hate to be having brain surgery and the surgeon go “well… I’m not sure what poking right here will do, let’s give it a try and find out!”
January 11th, 2007 at 12:29 pmAt the risk of letter reality get in the way of your pre-formed, headline driven opinion, here is the transcript of what he said.
Question: The mild winter in the Northeast and the Midwest appears to have raised the awareness of global warming in the United States. The automakers depend upon light-duty trucks. What effect do you anticipate from the this [inaudible] we’re in. In general, talk about the political environment you’ve encountered here.
[...]
Van Jolissaint:
I have the honor to work for a company that is co-located in Europe and the United States.
And the experience of living and working with German colleagues and other professionals in Europe has certainly made me aware that the rest of the world views the threat of global warming with much more alarm than we do.
It’s difficult for me to describe, because I personally think we take a certain amount of [inaudible]. We think the problem is way, way in the future, with a high degree of uncertainty.
And what you do is buy insurance. And insurance tends to be for intended small, incremental increases in energy prices or important [inaudible] some of the proceeds of that revenue in future development and you devote resources to defeat problems that are big problems today, rather than uncertain problems in the future.
But we should do something. We should do something today, we should do more tomorrow.
Europe seems to take a political position that some people might describe, not me of course, that some people might describe as quasi-hysterical, that the sky is falling. That you have to dramatically change the way that we organize society today and forever. And that view, I think, is probably best said by the contents of the Stern report that was released this fall by the former [inaudible] advisor to the government of Britain. And he, the former government official, he was former chief counsel [inaudible].
And he, it was a very thorough and a very political document [passage indistinct].
But it’s about politics. And a lot of people believe [inaudible] that global climate change [inaudible] problem. There is more evidence that suggests that it is occurring and it’s something that government and society need to deal with.
We think they should deal with it in a step-by-step, rational way and not play much Chicken Little.
But again, we are, you know, not everything that we’ve ever seen in research suggests, for instance, that small general taxes or price increases is the best way to deal with uncertain events like climate change.
In other words, [inaudible] tax, gas tax, small today, rising tomorrow, and then things like [the US fuel economy standard] CAFE or fuel economy or fuel efficiency standards for electrical efficiency standards for appliances have welfare losses for the general public, potentially in the order of magnitude higher than step-by-step general policies [inaudible].
So it is probably fair to say that climate change is going to be on the agenda globally and on the agenda in the United States for a long, long, long time.
January 16th, 2007 at 6:38 pmAnd yes, I drive a Dodge Grand Caravan – third Chrysler minivan in 20 years. Excellent vehicle if you need a minivan.
Funny reading all the comment from people who probably think they are intelligent. I bet none of them read what he actually said. They just jumped to conclusions based on what people think he said based on what some reporter said.
Attention all you lemming drones, learn to think for yourselves.
And before you jump to conclusions, do not make any assumptions about my opinions about global warming or what should be done about it. I have not expressed any opinion.
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