EARTH
ANGEL AWARD
Most
Environmentally Friendly Automaker
With
global warming top of mind and gas prices erratically fluctuating; more and more
consumers are turning to fuel-efficient vehicles, including hybrids and other
advanced-technology designs. While fuel efficiency and consequent money savings
are important, so is protecting our planet. Due
to increased amounts of greenhouse gasses locked in our atmosphere snowcaps around
the planet are melting, which normally reflect sunlight back into space keeping
Earth's temperatures regulated. With glaciers receding at unprece-dented speeds
the Earth is heating up as sun heats the ground rather than reflect off the snow
resulting in severe weather patterns worldwide. These changes are destabilizing
our rain forests and oceans, which are needed for climate balance. There
are many causes behind the Earth's climate change, most of which can, and must,
be reversed before it's too late. There are also many solutions for repairing
the damage and returning our planet to its more natural state of balance preventing
additional and irreversible damage.
Automakers
have stepped up with a wide array
of unique and interesting fuel efficient
and hybrid vehicles, as well as
now supporting numerous environmental
programs and initiatives worldwide.
The time has come to honor those
automakers that are making significant
strides and share their accomplishments
with the world.
On January 12, 2008 at the 12th Annual ICOTY
Awards, the inaugural EARTH
ANGEL AWARD was presented
to the automaker that demonstrated
the most progress in supporting,
participating in, and promoting
environmental awareness through
its products, programs, services
and initiatives.
To enter, automakers were presented
with six questions regarding their
worldwide initiatives. Eight companies
responded where upon a jury of twelve
respected automotive journalists
and editors reviewed the answers
and cast their votes for the automaker
that showed the most progress.
The
goal of the EARTH ANGEL AWARD is to showcase
the positive strides automakers are making in the face of global warming. All
too often the auto industry is blamed as the main culprit of greenhouse gasses
when the truth is that there are many causes from other industry pollutants to
individual human consumption. Therefore, each year one automaker will be honored
for their outstanding environmental progress.
The
winner of the inauguaral Earth Angel
Award was General Motors Corporation.
To view contestant answers, click
here.
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