sustainablog: Does Junk Science Lead to Junk Bonds?

That's a possibility Dr. Peter H. Gleick raises in this interesting commentary on the hybrid phonomenon from ENN. Gleick challenges claims about the Toyota Prius by climate chage foe Patrick Michaels, and presents the argument over the marketability and profitability of hybrid cars as a metaphor for choices made by Japanese and American automakers:

As a Toyota spokesman said about the late 1990s "We invested in hybrids," he says. "Another company bought a humongous SUV company. You make your decisions and you live with it." Indeed, it seems no coincidence that the Big Three are now scrambling to produce hybrids. As a Toyota spokesman said about the late 1990s "We invested in hybrids," he says. "Another company bought a humongous SUV company. You make your decisions and you live with it." Indeed, it seems no coincidence that the Big Three are now scrambling to produce hybrids. Junk climate science leads to junk climate policy, and potentially – as some US automakers recently discovered – junk bonds.

We won’t turn the tide on a problem as massive as climate change overnight. And hybrids are just part of the solution – designing walkable communities, investing in public transportation, and developing alternative fuels must also be part of the mix. But the success of the Prius shows that cost-effective and, yes, even desirable solutions to climate change are out there. And the icing on the cake? It’s fun to drive.