From Transport Evolved.
2024 was, categorically, the hottest year on record. California’s wildfires are raging in the middle of winter and we’re about to get a new U.S. President who has stated again and again that he believes Climate Change is a hoax.
Here at this channel, we’re eager to push for a future that’s cleaner, greener, and more equitable for everyone. A future where public transit meets the needs of much of the population, where multi-modal transit is the norm, and where green, renewable energy is available to all, regardless of their income.
We look for a future that lifts everyone up to build a better world – not tear people down. And we’d like to think that by driving cleaner, greener, vehicles, we’re helping that happen.
Except, as a newly-released report from U.S. non-profit Public Citizen details, there’s a troubling trend in the auto industry of companies that say they’re supportive of green tech plowing hundreds of thousand of dollars into political candidates who want to eradicate environmental protections, push back civil rights and much more.
It’s time to look into the puppet masters of the automotive world, examine if any automaker is free from involvement with this shady practice (hint: nobody is) – and ask what we, as citizens, can do to make the world a better, more equitable place.
Links:
* Read the Public Citizen report here: – https://www.citizen.org/article/driving-denial-how-toyotas-unholy-alliance-with-climate-deniers-threatens-climate-progress/
* Research political donations using OpenSecrets.org: https://www.opensecrets.org
* Watch Kate’s video on ethical consumerism: https://youtu.be/8A-T5JGWyqk
* Why YOU Need To Join an EV Group This Year: https://youtu.be/S0eVmTW7E3Q?
—
00:00 – Introduction
01:53 – What we’re covering
02:26 – Things are changing
03:52 – Not-so-hidden ulterior motives
04:47 – Conspiracy Theories
05:24 – Supporting climate-change deniers
06:38 – A pay-to-play system
08:29 – The how of donations
09:27 – The importance of context
10:23 – Automaker PAC Contributions – to anti-climate sorts
13:06 – No automaker is clear form blame
14:01 – What Toyota’s influence has paid for
16:49 – This isn’t just Toyota – it’s a wider problem
17:55 – The true horror of money donated
20:04 – You’ve made it this far… now what?
22:34 – What NOW?
24:10 – The act of changing from passive to active
27:03 – It’s OK to not be OK
29:14 – Thanks, and Goodbye!
—-
Presenter: Nikki Gordon-Bloomfield.
Camera, Editor, Colorist: Michael Horton
Art and Animation: Erin Carlie
Producer: Nikki Gordon-Bloomfield
Music supplied through Artlist.io
© Transport Evolved LLC, 2025
—–
Join this channel to get access to perks:
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC675NhQ4EU5TzwCMwYp5XCw/join
This video was made possible thanks to the kind donations of our supporters on Patreon and Ko-fi. Join them in supporting us.
Support us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/transportevolved
Buy the team a coffee — or a meal!
https://ko-fi.com/transportevolved
Donate using bitcoin: BC1QRZRGCCXUKPDZ2DZ9KX9JYJXMZDYHYGFZ0MN4WH
Support us by buying some merch at https://www.redbubble.com/people/TransportEVd/shop
Follow our ‘second’ channel – Transport Evolved Take Two, at https://www.youtube.com/transportevolvedtake2
Join our Discord server at https://discord.gg/U3tnkGNfCA
Follow the show on Mastodon: https://mastodon.transportevolved.com/
Follow the show on PeerTube: transport_evolved_main@peertube.tv
Use the TE Aptera referral code – i.refs.cc/zz56EbIi – but watch our explainer video FIRST: https://youtu.be/mwzwEssgqNI
Sing up for EnergySage at https://www.kqzyfj.com/click-101290941-16952262