Stop the Presses: National Wildlife Federation Supports GM Bailout Bid

Stop the Presses: National Wildlife Federation Supports GM Bailout Bid

Even when green, politics make for strange bedfellows.

As in the National Wildlife Federation's decision to support General Motors' bid to receive additional federal government bailout funds.

The show of support for GM by the Reston, Virginia-based environmental group with 4 million members came in a March 24 letter that NWF President and Chief Executive Larry Schweiger sent to President Obama's automobile industry task force.

Referring to GM's federal loan "application" in which the automaker pledged to make development of fuel-efficient, low-emission vehicles such as the Chevrolet Volt plug-in hybrid paramount in the future, Schweiger wrote that "when you consider that GM's plan is a critical step in confronting global climate change, then our involvement is not only expected, it is required."

The nation needs "to make investments in companies like GM who will deliver the technologies critical to achieving that clean energy economy," the letter said.

Schweiger reiterated what he said on March 17 when he and GM Chief Executive Rick Wagoner appeared together on behalf of the U.S. Climate Action Partnership, a coalition of companies and environmental groups that are lobbying Congress to establish a cap-and-trade system for controlling carbon-dioxide emissions.

Here's a bit of what Schweiger had to say back on St. Patrick's Day:

"The next-generation vehicles being developed by GM are one of the bold solutions we need to protect jobs and create new ones while transitioning away from the dirty fossil fuels that cause global warming. Through the huge auto supply chain, next-generation vehicles get us green jobs across America.

"GM's proposed electrification of its vehicles is a transformational change, not only for GM and other auto companies, auto workers, suppliers and the manufacturing sector, but for everyone in this country who uses electricity in any way.

"We need a cap on carbon pollution and we need to support companies like GM who can help advance the clean energy economy."

GM and Chrysler are seeking as much as $21.6 billion in additional U.S. financial assistance after getting $17.4 billion in federal loans since December.

The NWF has no plans to lobby on behalf of Chrysler, however, Schweiger told the Bloomberg news service in a recent interview.

Greg Johnson, Contributor

Greg Johnson: