GM downplays Lutz's climate sceptic rant

GM officials have downplayed a recent comment from GM vice chairman for global product development Bob Lutz in which he referred to global warming as a "crock of shit".

The comment, made at a private lunch with a handful of journalists, was reported by Glenn Hunter of D Magazine's Frontburner blog.

"Yes, he said it," said PR exec Dee Allen, who was present at the lunch, adding that it was a personal opinion, rather than a reflection of the company's values.

The statement didn't detract from the energy that GM is putting into reducing the dependency on oil in its cars, Allen added.

"His reputation in the car business is as an innovator and a maverick, and I get the idea that he says what he thinks," said Hunter, who asked Lutz about global warming at the lunch. "He also said that he's not a denier, he's a sceptic, and added 'what I think doesn't really make a difference - we're doing these things regardless'."

Despite his scepticism about climate change, Lutz has overseen an increased focus on the development of low carbon vehicles at GM and has given the company a goal of 2010 to ship the Volt, an electric vehicle powered using a standard 110 volt supply.

However, despite GM's attempts to distance the company from Lutz's comments they have still sparked an angry response from some environmentalists.

Readers posting in the comments section of the Frontburner blog linked Lutz's opinions to GM, and didn't always follow the distinction between scepticism and denial. "To openly deny global warming and to be the head of the largest corporation is one of the reasons our country is seen dimly world wide. Scary!" said one response to Hunter's article. Others supported the chief executive's scepticism.