The role Ford is taking in stopping climate change

If there is one issue that the media has really got its teeth into, it is that of climate change. Wherever you go, whatever you do, you are reminded of the impact that your actions are having on the environment. There are companies capitalising on this worry too, offering carbon offsetting services and all manner of devices that will help you to live in a more eco-friendly manner.

Although we do not yet have one definitive explanation of climate change that shows it is humankind creating changes in the weather rather than just a cycle in the Earth's life, most mainstream scientists seem to cite emissions as being the main contributing factor. This is a view which is supported by governments and organisations across the world, and in recent years we have seen a number of moves to reduce emissions as a result.

The gases and particles which are emitted from motor vehicles are probably one of the kinds of emissions which hit closest to home for the public. Most of us are used to getting in our cars to zap two minutes down the road without a second thought, and the realisation that we could be seriously harming our environment by doing so has been a bit of a shock for millions of motorists.

Many of us now experience pangs of guilt and concern when we turn the key in our ignition, and these feelings have prompted us to try a number of different strategies to minimise the impact our driving has on the environment. Some buy eco car insurance, where you pay a premium to offset the carbon your car emits by way of a tree planting project or similar, whilst others choose vehicles which run more efficiently or run on less polluting fuels.

However, whilst we can quite easily change the effect we have on the environment by driving around, we can't do much about the pollution created when our cars are made. Industry is one of the main emitters and it is not until the big companies change their ways that we will see the huge reductions in emissions that we need to be seeing in order to prevent further damage to our environment.

Fortunately, we are now starting to see parts of industry take the issue of climate change seriously. Ford, for example, is one of the first major car manufacturers step up and show its support for climate protection programs.

The president and chief executive of Ford commented: "We are at a critical stage in the conversation on climate change, energy consumption and environmental protection. We all recognize it is time for action."

In June 2007, Ford joined the United States Climate Action Partnership. This is an organisation consisting of a number of major companies which are united by their belief that climate change is an issue which must be addressed now. It wants to see legislation passed through Congress quickly which would put in place a "cap and trade" agreement for the whole of US industry.

Also known as emissions trading, this would mean that the government sets down a maximum amount of emissions that companies are allowed to emit for a certain time period. It would then give companies an allowance of emissions. If they go over this, they would have to buy more from firms which had underspent on their carbon emissions. Effectively, companies that emit more have to pay more, whilst those that spend under their limit will mean will make money.

The European Union already has such a system in place, but with America being one of the most polluting nations in the world, such an agreement could have a huge impact on the environment.

If more companies like Ford do the right thing and step up to the challenge of changing industry attitudes towards preventing climate change - and, of course, the scientists are right about our emissions being the cause - then perhaps we will see our climate stabilising and, eventually, regaining its natural balance.

However, we are not quite at this stage yet. For the moment, the best us motorists can do is to try to keep our emissions down by driving as greenly as possible, choosing car insurance from companies that offer carbon offsetting services and supporting companies like Ford who are acting on concerns about climate change.

 

 

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