EARTH ANGEL AWARD

Most Environmentally Friendly Automaker

With global warming top of mind and gas prices erratically fluctuating; more and more consumers are turning to fuel-efficient vehicles, including hybrids and other advanced-technology designs. While fuel efficiency and consequent money savings are important, so is protecting our planet.

Due to increased amounts of greenhouse gasses locked in our atmosphere snowcaps around the planet are melting, which normally reflect sunlight back into space keeping Earth's temperatures regulated. With glaciers receding at unprece-dented speeds the Earth is heating up as sun heats the ground rather than reflect off the snow resulting in severe weather patterns worldwide. These changes are destabilizing our rain forests and oceans, which are needed for climate balance.

There are many causes behind the Earth's climate change, most of which can, and must, be reversed before it's too late. There are also many solutions for repairing the damage and returning our planet to its more natural state of balance preventing additional and irreversible damage.

Automakers have stepped up with a wide array of unique and interesting fuel efficient and hybrid vehicles, as well as now supporting numerous environmental programs and initiatives worldwide. The time has come to honor those automakers that are making significant strides and share their accomplishments with the world.

On January 12, 2008 at the 12th Annual ICOTY Awards, the inaugural EARTH ANGEL AWARD was presented to the automaker that demonstrated the most progress in supporting, participating in, and promoting environmental awareness through its products, programs, services and initiatives.

To enter, automakers were presented with six questions regarding their worldwide initiatives. Eight companies responded where upon a jury of twelve respected automotive journalists and editors reviewed the answers and cast their votes for the automaker that showed the most progress.

The goal of the EARTH ANGEL AWARD is to showcase the positive strides automakers are making in the face of global warming. All too often the auto industry is blamed as the main culprit of greenhouse gasses when the truth is that there are many causes from other industry pollutants to individual human consumption. Therefore, each year one automaker will be honored for their outstanding environmental progress.

The winner of the inauguaral Earth Angel Award was General Motors Corporation. To view contestant answers, click here.