As White House Decides, BlogHer Lets YOU Talk to Ford VP Susan Cischke

I'd love to get the answer on this one. Have you tweet @scottmonty b/c he will email you and get you in touch with the bio women! That's what I did.

I really want to know if the new soy foam seats are blended with petroleum based foam or not.  I can't get a straight answer.  Most soy foam is blended - and blended with a petroleum based foam with flame retardants added.  So, does Ford blend the soy foam seats?

Jennifer

www.thesmartmama.com ( http://www.thesmartmama.com )

I've posted a few times and have done a video review and spoken to Scott Monty and Healthycar.org about the toxicty of cars and where Ford stands on this. Sure, with everything happening right now with the auto industry this probably isn't high on the to-do list but it's important...to me. It should be to everyone seeing that there are 300 pounds of plastic in every vehicle and plastic is heavy, far from eco-friendly and has some toxic concerns.

I posted on the Bio Babes ( http://www.greenandcleanmom.org/bio-babes-of-ford-... ) and the soy bean seats but I want to know is this:

Is the research going to turn into a reality and what are Ford's plans for making this a reality for all of Ford's vehicles long term? 

Does Ford have plans to stimulate the Michigan economy and use the Michigan farmers to help farm the soy beans? Isn't that why Henry Ford started using soy beans in paint back in the days for the Model-T?

Is Ford working with Healthycar.org ( http://www.healthycar.org ) to lower the toxicty rate in cars and make them safer for families and the environment. With healthycar.org being in Ann Arbor I would see this as a perfect fit for Ford.

I'd like to know about Ford's R&D, and how much money is spent developing affordable cars that run on something other than gasoline.

This Time, It's Personal ( http://www.bloggingprofessional.blogspot.com )

Yielding Wealth ( http://www.yieldingwealth.com )

Susan, thanks for the interview. These questions are excellent, I'd just ask one more:

What can we as consumers do to help Detroit help autoworkers, even as we insist on products that suit our wallets and our environment better? I think many consumers are willing to accept baby steps now if we believe that the companies we support are working on major changes. Are there short-term things Ford needs from consumers in order to save jobs and re-tool its products?

Lisa Stone
BlogHer Co-founder ( http://www.blogher.com/member/lisa-stone )
Surfette ( http://surfette.typepad.com )

BlogHer is non-partisan but our bloggers aren't! Follow our coverage of Politics & News ( http://www.blogher.com/topic/politics-news ).

Inga

I want an electric car that I can plug into the receptacle in my garage. I want to buy American this time. [I drive a 1999 Honda Civic, a sweet car.] I've been following news on the VOLT, and rented the documentary "Who Killed the Electric Car," which only whetted my appetite for an electric car.

What I want to know is why can't Ford, with it's 100 year lead time, come up with something that will make me swoon and demonstrate Ford's committment to alternative energy at the same time?  I'll be the first one to champion it. Soybean seats are nice, but until they are on a car that is saving BIG energy first, they are just greenwashing the market, not transforming it.  

Out here in Southern California, the electric and hydrogen cars will soon be getting their energy from the Local Community College (LACCD). Students can already plug into a parking lot and soon they'll be able to buy hydrogen from what the college produces using their excess wind and solar energy. 

Coupled with creating energy, LACCD is on track to teach hydrogen and automotive maintenance and other green collar jobs. Down the street in Carlsbad, the Aptera has captured the WOW factor and dollars of many investors and early buyers. They don't have to waste money on marketing dollars, the DESIGN is selling it via word of mouth.

Mary Hunt

www.inwomenwetrust.com ( http://www.inwomenwetrust.com/ )

www.ecolutionaryselling.com ( http://www.ecolutionaryselling.com/ )

www.greenbuildingpages.com ( http://www.greenbuildingpages.com/ )

www.laccdbuildsgreen.org ( http://www.laccdbuildsgreen.org/ )

I'd also be interested in hearing how Susan first became interested and began her career in the automotive industry.

Thanks!

-
Brandy Schaffels
Editor: http://askpatty.com
Managing Editor: http://automotivetraveler.com
http://twitter.com/hondagrrl

What are Ford plans and a time-frame to produce an all electric vehicle?

What is Susan Cischke's biggest challenge as a woman working for Ford?

Who is her mentor?

 Best Regards,

Jody DeVere
CEO/President - Ask Patty, Inc.
www.askpatty.com
www.certifiedfemalefriendly.com

Jody DeVere
President
www.askpatty.com ( http://www.askpatty.com )
www.carblabber.com ( http://www.carblabber.com )

sustainability efforts: http://www.ford.com/go/sustainability

Greener miles: http://www.ford.com/innovation/environmentally-fri...

Politics & News Contributing Editor
Queen of Spain ( http://queenofspainblog.com/ )

Next year I'll be trading in my small SUV for something different I think.  Why should I risk buying American? From what I understand they are eons beyond imports in all areas.  Our money is extremely urgent to our bottom line and we are smart shoppers.  Why would we buy an inferior product that will probaby cost us much more money down the road in maintenance and upkeep?  I am a proud American and have never purchased an American car but given the current crisis...would consider it to help out our economy HOWEVER...I have to be realistic.

Thank you in advance for answering my question.

SMOOCHES BEAUTIFUL WOMEN!

www.MonicaMingo.com ( http://www.MonicaMingo.com )

I, too , want to know what Ford is going to do for eco-friendliness -- on beyond the fuel question (greener manufacturing and materials.)

 Also, how about design? Seems like in recent years, Ford cars have been just big boxes. Where are today's Mustangs (the classic) and other cars that were things of beauty? And how about better ways to make family cars that don't have to be big buses. Remember the station wagon? 

Blue State Cowgirl