“Over the longer term, solid oxide fuel cells could be applied to secondary power-generating systems, such as auxiliary power units for large commercial airplanes,” Boeing said, adding that it “does not envision that fuel cells will ever provide primary power for large passenger airplanes, but the company will continue to investigate their potential, as well as other sustainable alternatives.”
This is typical American corporate thinking today-- by one of the biggest government subsidized companies in the world-- Boeing.
The message is clear -- from automakers to airplane companies-- we can't we can't we can't. God help us all. We are gassing ourselves to death with carbon dioxide and all we hear from the richest most powerful capitalists is "Not now-- no we can't for a very long time. "
In one paragraph you have them admitting they can do it -- make sustainable, carbon pollution reducing flights. And then the same Public Affairs person takes it away --saying it can't (more like WON'T) be done.
Working class America invested in this company -- billions in tax dollars for decades now-- for military industry and commercial airlines. And not just in Boeing, but all the colleges and universities that feed it's high tech soul a talented smart innovative worker.
And what we get for our massive investments? We get good paying jobs for a while. But stay tuned: Boeing is doing to Seattle what Ford and GM and Chrysler did to Detroit in the 1950's-- the company that is exporting jobs around the world. Detroit was the job center of the universe after WW II. And now it is a pitiful shadow economy-- used up, hollowed out and left for dead.
Whether or not Boeing succeeds in exporting all Seattle's jobs around the world - Boeing sounds like Eeyore telling people that greener brighter day of flight can't happen soon. I say it can't happen soon enough.
What I think they are saying is that the corporate world has been hijacked by the investment elite -- they won't make the big investments needed to bring tested green technology to large scale reality because they are beholden to a quarterly profit margin that won't allow it. ( For more on collapsing faith in market capitalism --see Economist editorial via Daily Kos )
The charade must continue -- more public funds --not just for a war machine but for the green machine. And once we have paid for all the research and brought the technology up to assembly line production, some kind old Republican or Democrat will tell us how it is in the public good for market efficiency to once again take over and make an all American profit from our subsidy of risk.
Amen! Amen!
The problem with our economy is not just the pirate ship financial sector leveraging assets to the nth degree. The problem is a company like Boeing-- one that has the best and brightest of our country's people working in it saying "we can't".
The auto industry can't create more efficient engines-- can't reduce emissions, the coal industry can't do anything about the pollution it causes. The oil industry can't either.
It is this Eeyore mentality that calls into question the premise of capitalism to bring the best to the top-- to take risks and grow stronger because we are growing jobs, too.
America the beautiful ought to be leading the charge on green energy and transportation. We should be sharing our optimism about this beautiful world's future and our stewardship of it.
Si se puede!
basta.
Timothy
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