This could be right up there along with turkeys giving their support to more Thanksgiving and Xmas celebration dinner parties – but this week saw the launch of Honda’s new gas-guzzling Formula 1 car (5 m.p.g) under the banner of the “Earth Car” with Honda proclaiming their environmental ‘green’ credentials at the same time?
Maybe it’s similar to taking the sceptical view of the space programme, in that shed-loads of money was spent on putting a man on the moon and yet all the little-people back on earth saw, as a positive outcome, was the emergence of teflon coated saucepans and pyrex ovenware! But that’s not really the case. There were lots of side-benefits and learning that emerged from the space programme that slipped seamlessly into our everyday life and we don’t have to be en-route to the moon to acknowledge that.
This, said Honda, was its “Earth car”, the company’s gift to the environment. “We are dedicating this car to environmental awareness,” said a Honda spokesman at the Natural History Museum, where it was launched. “It seems strange, but it is counter-intuitive. Formula one racing has an audience of 600 million people a year, second only to the Olympic games. With this car we will spread the message of the environment to them all. We will invite everyone to pledge to do something. The message is awareness. Please be aware that the environment is a major concern. Please do something about it.”
In the same way, whilst it’s probably wise to digest the Honda ‘earth’ story with a touch of scepticism – it’s also only right and proper to acknowledge that a lot of the enhancements we take for granted in our everyday family saloon, particularly where safety is concerned, undoubtedly emerged from the intensive exploration, investigation and research and development that resides within the Formula 1 ‘test-lab’ environment. Whilst we can speculate that it’s Honda’s end-game to have an ‘earth friendly’ vehicle that comes first in a Grand-Prix – we know for sure that there’ll never be any prizes handed out to Honda, or anybody else for that matter, for developing an ‘earth friendly’ vehicle that comes last! According to Chris Aylett, head of the Motorsport Industry Association. “A winning green technology will have a powerful effect on the public.”
In the results-oriented world of F1 Grand Prix racing – how do they square that particular circle? Well in that regard, Honda are throwing out a call to action to their fans, sponsors, customers and members of the public, via the website www.myearthdream.com anyone who wishes, will have the opportunity to have their name on the car, make a pledge to make a lifestyle change to improve the environment and make a donation to an environmental charity. Under the concept of “our car is your car”, each name will form a tiny individual pixel which will help build the image of planet earth on the car. Each name will be visible on the website when a pledge is made or under a microscope on the car.
Ralph Waldo Emerson said that “scepticism is slow suicide” – and carrying on with our present behaviours on fuel emissions is possibly leading to a quicker version of planetary suicide. So here at Donation4Charity we take the view that we ought to stow the scepticism for once and give Honda the benefit of the doubt – at this point. Meanwhile we’ll be keeping Honda under our microscope.
