Automobile Retailers

In our final instalment of Know the Dangers, we’ll be taking a look at how global warming and climate change has an effect on the fragile ecosystems found right here in North America. A number of industries are focusing in on climate change as being their top obstacle to turning significant profit, like the ski industry that we looked at last time. Another industry that requires its fragile ecosystem to be pitch-perfect is the wine industry.

The quality and taste of the wine depend directly on the soil and on climate conditions in which the grapes are grown. This concept is known as terroir. With climate change altering conditions significantly, the wine industry is experiencing a myriad of issues with the grapes. By bringing higher temperatures, the effect had on the terroir is impossible to predict. As such, California’s $15-billion wine industry sits in the balance.

Pinot noir is a type of wine that requires a very particular temperature to grow the grapes. The grapes benefit from ocean breezes and other climate conditions. With climate change, many worry that the conditions required to grow the pinot grapes will no longer exist.

Another issue that impacts the wine is water. With potential for a water shortage and issues impacting the volatility of the water supply, it’s enough to make many wine producers nervous. There have been periods of drought in California that have impacted the grape crops significantly, such as the drought in the Grain Belt from a few years ago. If these drought conditions don’t improve, wine makers will need to rely on other measures to achieve a halfway decent crop.

By now, many readers are likely panicking. “Not the wine! Anything but the wine!”

If you’re wondering what you can do to save the wine and the wineries we all love so much, some changes are in order. Driver smarter and drive a more fuel-efficient car. Stop by your Scion dealer today, tell them you want to save the wineries in California, and get yourself a test drive!

How often do you see cars with bumper stickers? I see one at least once a day, sometimes more. Some of them are pretty clever. Others are fairly lame. But regardless of what the bumper sticker says, those drivers have one thing in common: They tend to be more aggressive.

A social psychologist at Colorado State University conducted a study involving drivers with bumper stickers and drivers without bumper stickers. The study also included drivers who have vanity plates, decals and other markers on their car.

The researcher found that drivers with any type of marking on their car showed more aggressive driving behaviors than drivers without markers. They exhibited several types of road rage, including tailgating, honking and "flipping the bird." One surprising finding was that it didn’t matter what type of marking the driver had because they all showed these types of behaviors. A person with a "My son was an honor student" bumper sticker showed just as aggressive driving behaviors as a truck driver with a Confederate flag sticker.

The social psychologist concluded that these behaviors are linked to evolutionary reactions. We tend to look at cars as our private space within a public territory. People who have aggressive tendencies are more likely to "mark their territory" with stickers and decals, explaining the reason why these drivers tend to be meaner behind the wheel.

Do you want to be viewed as an aggressive driver or do you want to hide those tendencies from other drivers? Either way, you can do whatever you want when you purchase a new or used car from your local Pontiac dealer . Cover your car in political stickers or keep it sticker-less. The choice is yours. Just keep your anger under control so we can all enjoy the streets and highways together.