Bio-diesel hybrids and why you should fire your Congressperson

The hybrid vehicle powertrain is a beautiful thing because of the plethora of engine combinations with which it is able to integrate.

Currently, most hybrid cars, such as the Toyota Prius, are gas-electric hybrids that utilize both gasoline engines and electric motors. However, the future of hybrids could be dominated by diesel engine and electric motor combinations, or hydrogen engine electric motor combinations - a vehicle that Ford has already conceptualized.

Still, hydrogen doesn't offer a solution today. Diesel hybrids, on the other hand, pose some interesting possibilities today, such as bio-diesel-electric hybrids. These vehicles could utilize new techniques that could turn American crops into clean bio-diesel fuel for American vehicles.

The point is, hybrid powertrains enable the integration of the best innovations in the automotive industry to create vehicles that can have an immediate impact on the environment, economy, and foreign-oil dependency.

The only obstacle is profit. Making America a safer and more socially responsible country just isn't cost-effective for two of America's most important corporations. Or, even worse, making America safer isn't even a concern.

As an American citizen I find this completely unacceptable. While I realize more than a million jobs are at stake, the fact that these companies - and their cronies in Congress - have put the security of 100's of millions at risk with greed-driven corporate incompetence is unforgivable.

Americans do not owe either GM or Ford anything. GM and Ford owe America - not in decades when they can monopolize fuel cell technology for fat shareholder dividends - today.

More important and unfortunate; however, Congress needs to be fired for serving lobbyists rather than citizens.