Sierra Club: Waiting List for Hybrid Vehicles Longer Than Wait for Organ Transplants

SAN LUIS OBISPO, Calif., Oct. 7, 2004 -- In the Fall 2004 issue of the Green Car Journal consumer magazine, Sierra Club executive director Carl Pope points out in an interview that, "right now, in many American cities, the waiting list to get a hybrid vehicle is longer than the waiting list to get an organ transplant."

That's not a good thing. But with Toyota increasing production capacity of its immensely popular Prius, the long-awaited Ford Escape Hybrid SUV poised to enter the market, and the Honda Accord Hybrid joining its Insight and Civic Hybrid brethren at dealerships in December, increased availability should soon find new car buyers breathing easier.

The country's dependence on oil is also on Pope's mind. When reflecting on progress in the auto industry versus other commercial industries, Pope looks to coal as an example.

"The auto industry has done more to embrace new technology than the coal industry," says Pope, "but on the other hand, the auto industry has done more to increase our dependence on oil, so they have a larger moral responsibility."

Green Car Journal, an award-winning auto enthusiast magazine that blends mainstream automotive coverage with a focus on energy diversity and the environment, offers its readers an in-depth look at how the auto industry is responding to this sense of responsibility, and the challenges it faces, with a wide range of interesting, informative, and entertaining features. This reflects editor/publisher Ron Cogan's 29 years as an auto writer and as former feature editor at Motor Trend.

In the issue, Ford's vice-president of research and advanced engineering Gerhard Schmidt shares the direction his company is taking to lessen the automobile's environmental impacts. He also admits that the auto industry is at a crossroads, and that, "there are changes underway that show our present business model is unsustainable for the next 50 years."

Among the articles in this issue are "The Truth About Biodiesel," "Inside Honda's Integrated Motor Assist," and "10 Tips for Higher MPG." Colorful features showcase the Prius GT, Nissan Altima Hybrid, and electric Lotus Elise. Excerpts from the print magazine are featured on Green Car Journal Online at www.greencar.com.

Additional information on Green Car Journal and Ron Cogan, as well as high resolution images, can be found at www.greencar.com/media.