Torn from the Headlines -- 3/8/21 Daypass -- GM’s Aspiration for Zero Emission Vehicles by 2035
Please join us Monday, March 8th and Tuesday, March 9th for a look at GM’s “Aspiration” for Zero Emission Vehicles by 2035: How will this impact the
Industry? and a lively discussion about how this recent announcement is raising both business and political issues.
Monday, March 8, 2021 4-5 pm — One hour Q & A with John M. DeCicco, Research Professor emeritus, University of Michigan Energy Institute. Facilitated
discussion with Karen Bantel, Ph.D., OLLI member and instructor; former U-M Professor of Entrepreneurship and Business Strategy. Fee: $10.00.
Tuesday, March 9, 2021 2-3 pm — Facilitated discussion with participants. Moderated by Karen Bantel in the OLLI Commons. Free and open to the public.
GM announced that it “aspires” to have all of its global light-duty vehicles, including full-size pickups and SUVs, to be zero emissions by 2035. The
Environmental Defense Fund calls GM's move an "extraordinary step forward.” Should electric cars be the focus, or is the optimum approach to combine
them with fuel efficiency efforts? Should we consider GM CEO Mary Barra as a leader on this issue or has she been inconsistent? How does the timing of
this decision relate to the election of and transition to the Biden Administration, and what role will it play? What can we expect from the competing auto
companies, both in the U.S. and globally?
John M. DeCicco is a research professor emeritus retired from the University of Michigan Energy Institute. His work addresses global energy and
environmental challenges through an interdisciplinary approach anchored in physical science while drawing insights from economics, other social sciences
and public policy.
As a nationally recognized leader on energy issues, Professor DeCicco’s research has focused on transportation sector energy use and CO2 emissions,
including vehicle efficiency, petroleum use, biofuels, electrification and consumer issues as well as the role of atmospheric CO2 removal in offsetting the
CO2 released from the combustion of liquid fuels. His past studies were influential in the development of automotive fuel economy and GHG emissions
standards and his recent work addresses methodological challenges related to biofuels and atmospheric CO2 levels.
He remains active in research and also teaches the “Mobility and the Environment” module for the Foundations of Mobility online credential offered by
the University of Michigan. His Cars and Climate website includes brief summaries of his work and perspectives on the issue.
Over the years he has analyzed many other energy and environmental topics, including energy use in buildings, energy-related consumer behavior and the
impacts of electricity generation. He directed the University of Michigan Energy Survey from Fall 2013 through Winter 2019; co-chaired the university’s
conference on Transportation, Economics, Energy and the Environment (TE3) from 2014 through 2019; and serves as a lecturer and speaker for both academic
and general audiences.
Before returning to academia in 2009, he spent over twenty years working on energy and environmental policy at nonprofit organizations, including positions
as a senior fellow at the Environmental Defense Fund, transportation director for the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy and staff scientist
at the National Audubon Society. He has testified numerous times before Congress and has more than 200 published papers, articles, reports and formal
public policy submissions to his credit. He holds a Ph.D. in mechanical engineering from Princeton University.
Articles:
https://www.nytimes.com/2021/01/29/business/general-motors-electric-cars.html?action=click&module=Top%20Stories&pgtype=Homepage
https://www.freep.com/story/money/cars/general-motors/2021/01/28/gm-emissions-electric-gas-light-duty-vehicles/4290489001/
https://theconversation.com/to-make-the-us-auto-fleet-greener-increasing-fuel-efficiency-matters-more-than-selling-electric-vehicles-153085
https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/want-greener-cars-focus-on-fuel-efficiency/
https://www.nytimes.com/2021/02/18/opinion/electric-cars-SUV.html 
