Recently I have been thinking about the cultural process whereby something that initially is perceived as dangerous to society ultimately becomes a part of the cultural mainstream. New is often perceived as threatening.  Its newness is not understood, so if it can’t be understood and fit into the status quo then it must be bad. 

This thinking was triggered several weeks ago when reading an editorial in The Economist about the need for an age-rating for video games similar to the age ratings of the motion picture industry.  The thrust of the article was that something new is not necessarily bad …

It was great to meet with a number of the top executives at GM prior to the Chicago Auto Show to learn about the Chevrolet Volt, the company commitment to developing battery technology and to really find out how committed this company is and will be in the area of cleaner automobiles.  However there is one interview that truly stands out that needs to be shared. 

Larry Burns is GM’s Vice President, Research & Development and Strategic Planning.  Simply put, this means he is THE person responsible for leading GM into the future of clean transportation. It is Larry’s job to …

As mentioned in my prior post, I had the opportunity to meet one on one with top management at General Motors prior to the opening of the Chicago Auto Show, which is the largest auto show in North America. I am writing several posts about this experience for two reasons. First, I learned a lot that is worth sharing, and second, our collective ability to drastically reduce the production of greenhouse gases during the next two decades is significantly dependent on transforming how we power transportation.

The good news is that all the major auto companies have gotten the message …