Blame culture

The lawsuit follows a summer of record-breaking temperatures in the Golden State and concerns that Los Angeles may have to be abandoned in the future as drinking water supplies continue to evaporate along with the snow from the Sierra Nevada mountains.

For many, it will come as no surprise that the state responsible for electing Hollywood acting legend Arnold ‘The Terminator’ Schwarzenegger as governor should indulge in such a bizarre stunt. However, the state has argued that since vehicle emissions are the single most rapidly growing source of carbon emissions contributing to global warming and the automakers have refused to address this, they now have to answer to the courts.

But are the manufacturers really the villains? Surely, if there were no demand for their products, the car manufacturers wouldn’t produce them. Perhaps the uncomfortable truth behind this lawsuit is that it will allow Californians to salve their environmental conscience by blaming the manufacturers for their failure to invest in more environmentally friendly methods of transport. More worrying is the precedent this case could set if successful: rather than regard your actions as responsible for contributing to global warming, blame the manufacturers instead. If that’s the case, who will be next: air-conditioning manufacturers? Boiler suppliers? It is not unfeasible.

New this month…

Understanding business and business issues is an essential part of being an engineer. Issues such as employment law, how to generate publicity and how to deal with the media are just some of the skills needed to run a successful business. That is why BSj has introduced a new ‘in business’ section as part the magazine’s ongoing evolution. The page is intended to provide snippets of useful information to keep readers up to speed on key developments in the world of business (turn to page 95). We hope you find it useful.