Archive for July, 2010

Ford Motor’s Chairman Bill Ford Jr. has recently called for a national energy policy saying that the auto industry together with the energy companies, government and other industries should cooperate in developing a comprehensive plan.

Chairman Ford Jr., addressing the Detroit Regional Chamber said that the auto industry is not looking for handouts nor it is trying to evade its responsibilities. On the other hand he said that he would like to move beyond the “patchwork” of current fuel-economy rules and “arbitrarily set standards.”

The executive said that all of the stakeholders should help to create a more comprehensive plan for cutting carbon emissions. He also stressed that Ford is continuing to invest in cleaner, more fuel-efficient technology in spite of its restructuring program.

Chairman Ford Jr. said, “Environmental sustainability is a critical issue for our future growth and prosperity.”

He further added that although the company has been able to develop the first hybrid SUV which is the Ford Escape and redeveloped its Rouge plant in Dearborn, Mich., in what he termed as “environmentally friendly way”, the Chairman wishes that the company would have done more.

Chairman Ford Jr., also said during a question-and-answer session that the company “didn’t stretch far enough in the past few years” on design but the new vehicles such as the Edge crossover utility and the Ford Flex are “really indicative of the kind of design we want to have in the end.”

Despite the fact that Ford did well at truck and SUV design, Chairman Ford said, “I think as we started getting back to the car business, we weren’t perhaps bold enough.” He also said that he was “Very disappointed” by the comments made by Presidential candidate Sen. Barack Obama, D-III., at his recent speech in Detroit wherein Obama has criticized the US automakers and calling them to do more to build furl-efficient vehicles.

Chairman Ford Jr., added that he would like to invite Obama to Ford’s plant in Chicago “where we make a vehicle that’s more fuel efficient than the one he’s currently driving.” He further stated that it is not only the stressed on the production of more fuel-efficient vehicles that’s weighing on the US automakers but also the rising cost of health care that leaves US manufacturers at a disadvantage. “Unless, nationally, we get our arms around this, it’s going to be very hard to be a manufacturer in this country of anything,” he said during a question-and-answer session.

However Chairman Ford has also made it clear that he is not at all endorsing a national universal health-care system but he did say that the present system is “broken”. US automakers are facing a growing burden of providing heath care for thousands of retirees and active employees. But he didn’t mention just how Ford will deal with its health-care costs especially since its talks with the United Auto Workers union are getting near.

It can be remembered that Ford the producer of high quality car accessories such as Ford floor mats has taken a big step in changing its management stature when it hired Alan Mulally who is a former Boeing Co. (BA) executive as the new Chief Executive. And just recently, UAW President Ron Gettelfinger while speaking to the same conference has made a call for a national, single-payer health-care system. Gettelfinger said, “Our continued failure to enact serious health-care reform puts U.S. companies at an enormous competitive disadvantage. All of our major trading partners, every one, have national health-care systems which deliver quality care at an affordable price.”

Fifteen years ago seeing a cellular phone was quite rare, and in today’s technologically advanced world, just about everyone has a cellular phone. Adults, teenagers, and even children carry around portable models of the telephone.

Through the interesting history of the cellular phone, one can get the picture of how the portable wonder became what it is today.

In 1843, a skilled, analytical chemist named Michael Farady began exhaustive research to find a space that could conduct electricity. He told of his findings, and these advances of 19th century science and technology have had an incalculable effect on the development of today’s cellular phone.

By the year of 1865 a dentist by the name of Dr. Mahlon Loomis became what is thought to be the first person who was able to communicate wirelessly through the atmosphere. Between 1866 and 1873 transmitted telegraphic messages 18 miles between the tops of the Cohocton and Beorse Deer Mountains in Virginia.

Dr. Mahlon Loomis developed a way of transmitting and receiving messages by using Earth’s atmosphere as a conductor. He also launched kites enclosed with copper screens that were linked to the ground with copper wires. He was awarded a $50,000 research grant from Congress to continue his studies.

Then, in the year of 1973, a former general manager from the systems division of Motorola, Dr. Martin Cooper, became who is thought to be the inventor of the first portable handset. Dr. Cooper was also the first person to make a call using a portable cell phone.

In New York, he set up a base station with the first working prototype of a cell phone, the Motorola Dyna-Tac. He and Motorola took this technology to New York to show the public.

Later on, in 1977, the cell phone went public and public testing began. Chicago was the home for the first trials with 2,000 people. After Chicago, there were later trials in Washington, D.C. and Baltimore, and then it spread to Japan in 1979.

Usual technologies changed in 1988 when the CTIA – Cellular Technology Industry Association – was formed to lay out realistic goals for cell phone providers. Research for new applications of development was included.

In 1991 the Telecommunications Industry Association set a new standard with the creation of the TDMA Interim Standard 54.

Cell phones have had quite a long journey. Although there was a great demand for cell phones, it took 37 years for them to become commercially available in the United States.

Wireless service was actually invented almost 50 years ago, so it’s hard to believe that cell phones have only become popular over the past couple of decades. Currently, there are more than 60 million people who own cell phones.

Do you realize over 500 million gallons of motor oil are purchased in the nation each year? Furthermore, about 50 percent of the more than 400 million oil filters sold are recycled. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) estimates that nearly half of the motor oil changed comes from do-it-yourself (DIY) mechanics. What impact does this have upon the earth and our ground water when we need to change motor oil in our vehicles every 3,000 miles?

A new technology introduced by SOMS Technologies, LLC, which provides engine oil filtration merchandise, reported on October 21, 2008 that they have created an oil filter which only needs replaced up to every 30,000 miles. It is important to change motor oil to keep the engine running smoothly and to remove dirt and other contaminants. In addition to saving auto owners on maintenance when they change motor oil, it also dramatically reduces oil filter disposal waste in our landfills. By capturing oil particles down to 2 microns instead of 25-40 microns in traditional oil filters, certified mechanics and those who do it themselves will see increased performance and cleaner oil when they change motor oil.

The automotive marketplace has not seen such a technological improvement with automotive oil filters in 30 years. This is a step in the right direction to save millions of gallons of drinking water, due to ground contamination when people change motor oil and do not dispose of it properly. According to the EPA, one gallon of used motor oil pollutes one million gallons of water, which threatens community drinking water and the environment. It is better to save than to waste our valuable resources when changing motor oil and filters.

The microGreen oil filter is being targeted toward larger industries for a test drive including government organizations and educational entities. Features with this new oil filter include a potential 5 percent increase in fuel efficiency, improved engine life and vehicle maintenance, and a 70 percent reduction in motor oil consumption, according to microGreenFilter.com. To further your driving capabilities, synthetic oils can be used when you change motor oil in order to obtain better fuel mileage and longer engine life. Ask for the benefits of using synthetic oil the next time you need to change motor oil at your nearest quick change oil company.

Routine maintenance for most cars recommend to change motor oil every 3-5,000 miles or more often if the car is driven in hot climates or for extensive highway use. With microGreen oil filters, those appointments to change motor oil including oil filters will be reduced since the dual filters only need changing every two to three oil changes. Quick change oil companies should not worry about this new technology because it hasn’t been released to the public nor has it been tested on mass amounts of vehicles. Additionally, auto owners will still need to change motor oil, but not as traditional auto manuals suggest. Quick stop lube businesses can use suggestive selling to their customers when they come to change motor oil and offer to replace wiper blades, air filters, buy gift certificates, motor oil change coupons and frequent visitor cards. Although the Web site says the oil filter should be available by mid-November, it does not provide an initial retail price. Lube companies should continue to use their stocked supply of motor oil and oil filters to provide the best service when people come to change their motor oil.

Green technology is what consumers are demanding and they will continue to support oil change companies who embrace eco-friendly products and services. Quick change motor oil companies will be able to offer their customers an eco- friendly alternative to the traditional oil filter with the initial motor oil change. After the initial installation, customers will see the benefits of using the dual filter with increased fuel usage, better engine performance and less trips to the automotive garage or dealerships to fix worn engine components.