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cluding an accusation that sediments have been stored in unsafe conditions. In 2006, GM was one of a number of manufacturers from around the world named in a suit brought by the State of California over the issue of pollution. The case was dismissed a year later, but the damage to GM's reputation had already been done. In 2008, the Political Economy Research Institute (PERI) ranked GM 18th on its list of the US's worst polluters, giving the company a toxic score of 73,248, set against the no. 1 polluter, E.I. du Pont de Nemours, which scored 285,661 (PERI, 2008). Meanwhile, in the same year, the Union of Concerned Scientists (UCS) ranked GM 7th out of the world's largest car manufacturers in terms of pollution and environmental performance, noting that although some of the company's brands performed well in this area, many others performed very badly (USC, 2008). As a result of this negative publicity, by the end of 2008 GM was seen to be lagging behind other companies in terms of (a) establishing its green credentials, and (b) getting these credentials across to the public.

In fact, GM has a better record on environmental issues than might seem the case given the poor ratings mentioned above. Back in the early 1990's, GM produced the first all-electric US car, the EV1; although this was not a huge success, and was ultimately discontinued within ten years, the EV1 still popularised the idea of electric cars in the US and showed other manufacturers that the concept had potential. GM has long been working on alternative-technology vehicles, pioneering the use of turbochargers and ethanol-burning flexible-fuel vehicles. In 2004, GM was the first US company to introduce alternative fuel systems for SUV's and pick-up trucks, and the company has since launched a number of mild (i.e. part electric, part diesel) hybrid cars, such as the Saturn Vue and Chevrolet Malibu. Although these cars were introduced alongside, rather than instead of, conventional diesel cars, many industry analysts argue that GM has worked hard to create environmentally-friendly cars but has for the most part failed to promote this aspect of its business. GM has also worked on hybrid vehicles that have been mostly ignored by other companies, including a hybrid Magic-branded bus due for introduction between 2012 and 2014. GM has also worked hard on improving electric car batteries and instigating hydrogen technology. The company is pioneering flexible fuel technology, and all four of its core brands now have some form of flexible fuel model available.

Criticisms of GM's Social Responsibility

As the largest US car manufacturer, GM has naturally come in for heavy criticism for pioneering the modern phenomenon of the SUV. An SUV is a large, very strong car designed for carrying heavy equipment and negotiating difficult terrain; however, these vehicles have become extremely popular in suburban America, where they have routinely been used for common urban journeys. Since SUV's have very poor fuel efficiency, some critics have argued that SUV's, their owners, and their manufacturers - including GM - are contributing to the global warming problem. GM has recognised that global warming is a genuine phenomenon, and has made a number of clear public pronouncements on the subject. However,本论文由英语论文网提供整理，提供论文代写，英语论文代写，代写论文，代写英语论文，代写留学生论文，代写英文论文，留学生论文代写相关核心关键词搜索。