On the heels of the LA Auto Show, Freedom From Oil activists also attended the North American International Auto Show in Detroit. Despite automakers attempts to distract the public with eco-concept cars - we worked to make sure that fuel efficiency would go beyond concepts and actually address oil addiction. We lit up Detroit with giant light billboards, and even worked with Kermit the Frog to renounce his partnership with Ford and speak the truth about their environmental record.
January 2007
November 2006
At the Los Angeles International Auto Show automakers opened the gates on their race to be portrayed as the "Green" automaker. Our week-long series of actions challenged their greenwash - literally. We told the story of the discrepancies between their marketing and their products - and generated over 700 media stories from our successful actions.
September 2006
After months of negative press and plummeting sales, Bill Ford steps down as Ford's Chief Executive Officer. Jumpstart Ford calls upon incoming executive Allan Mulally to listen to what everyone is now saying (and what Jumpstart Ford has been saying all along) - Stop producing gas guzzlers and build zero-emissions vehicles! And here in San Francisco - Marin County agress to place a soft-order for 22 plug-in hybrid vehicles. While other local cities have passed resolutions to this point - Marin is the first county to actually place an order.
August 2006
Plug-In Bay Area launches as the newest local chapter of Plug-In Partners, a national grassroots initiative working to demonstrate to automakers the burgeoning demand for these highly fuel-efficient plug-in vehicles. PIBA is working to get local businesses, fleets, and municipalities to take "soft-orders" for plug-in hybrid vehicles. Locally, the cities of San Francisco, Oakland, Berkeley, and Alameda have already passed resolutions supporting the development and commercialization of these vehicles. Other Bay Area cities and counties are currently in the process of passing similar resolutions and placing soft orders.
July 2006
While Ford announces an estimated net loss o $3 billion in 2006 and layoffs of at least 22,000 workers - Jumpstart Ford hosts the Freedom From Oil Action Camp! The camp brought frontline communities, peak oil activists, campus organizers, skilled professionals, climate change radicals and others together to strategize and train to break our addiction to oil.
June 2006
As Toyota announces committments to build and sell 1 million hybrid vehicles by 2010, Ford Motors continues to have falling market share and growing financial woes. Ford breaks it's nine-month old promise to build 250,000 hybrids in that same time, the latest in a string of public deceptions around their environmental sincerity. The growing chorus from environmental, labor, and financial analysts
all point to the same issue - stop building gas guzzlers!
May 2006
Hot on the heels of successful civil disobedience in Palo Alto and Los Angeles, South Florida activists blockade a Fort Lauderdale dealer. At a dealer owned by AutoNation (the largest chain of auto retailers in the US), activists also chained themselves to oil barells for hours in the blistering sun. Negotiating to end the blockade - the dealer finally agreed to meet with the campaign to discuss how they (and parent AutoNation) could help break oil addiction! See more photos of the action here!
April 2006
Our annual Fossil Fools Day was a great success - drawing in a huge coalition of environmental, anti-war, human rights and student organizations. Jumpstart Ford and CodePink activists in Los Angeles mobilized with 2 young women chaining themselves to oil barrels - symbolizing how Ford is chained to oil.
March 2006
Marking the 3-year anniversary of the Iraq war - Jumpstart Ford partners with the Raging Grannies to turn up the pressure on Ford. Activists chain themselves to oil barells in Palo Alto, CA at a Ford dealership while a full-age ad runs in the NY Times challenging Ford's hypocritical claims of environmental responsibility.
January 2006
Facing massive financial woes, Ford announces massive layoffs as part of it's "Way Forward" restructuring plan. Jumpstart Ford, as well as many financial analysts agree that Ford's financial woes are due in large part to their insistence on gas guzzlers as other companies move forward with hybrids and improving fuel economy. Jumpstart Ford steps up our efforts in building coalitions with labor unions - and make the point that the only way forward for the environment, workers, and for Ford Motors is to innovate with zero-emission vehicles.
