Green
activists in the US have continued campaigning against the Ford Motor Group,
calling for the company to commit to a zero-emission future in a massive
coordinated protest this week. Members of the ‘Jumpstart Ford’ coalition
took part in more than 240 individual demonstrations across the country,
culminating in the presentation of a 6000 signature petition at Ford’s
Dearborn, Michigan headquarters.The document called for the company to reduce fuel consumption and greenhouse gas emissions across the Ford fleet.
“Under Bill Ford, Jr.’s watch, Ford Motor Company’s EPA fuel efficiency ranking has plummeted to an abysmal last place for five straight years,” said Sarah Connolly, from the Rainforest Action Network’s Zero Emissions Campaign. “Today, Ford is reporting on its annual earnings, but we’re here to remind Americans about Ford’s annual emissions.”
Ford’s environmental initiatives in the US have been met with little support from green quarters. The release of a hybrid 4x4 was deemed to be ‘tokenism’ by campaigners, while the company’s ‘eco-factory’ at Rouge River – which boasts energy and water saving features – was dismissed for producing the high-emission F150 truck.
