Sean C. Morgan
On President’s Day, students in Allen Buzzard’s junior high social studies class wrote letters to several presidents.
They certainly did not expect a response from the CEO of DaimlerChrysler.
Buzzard was teaching his class about the Mayans and their habit of burning forests for agriculture, something that may have contributed to their disappearance. The classroom discussion turned to societies’ impact on the environment and eventually emissions from the combustion engine.
“I made an interesting assignment related to presidents but rather than have the kids focus on the president of the United States,” he wrote the names of the CEOs of the three American automobile manufactures on the board, Buzzard said. “I told the kids, wouldn’t it be great if we could get a hold of the presidents of the auto manufacturers.”
The mission was to draft a polite postcard suggesting alternative, better-engineered automobiles to reduce emissions harmful to the environment and reduce U.S. dependence on foreign oil.
“The post cards, in particular three, were well-crafted,” Buzzard said. Some of the kids were clearly in favor of more horsepower and bigger engines. “Tyler (Scott) was very creative in his postcard. He acknowledged the different sides and different opinions in his postcard.”
He told the CEOs that some in his class thought nothing wrong of bigger engines, and he asked whether there was a way to make alternative vehicles “equally cool” compared to gasoline-powered sports cars.
A month later, on March 15, Buzzard said, Scott received a reply directly from the CEO of DaimlerChrysler.
“The fact, as busy as he is, that he could take the time to draft it himself and send back a reply was impressive,” Buzzard said. Scott received the letter just before spring break. He came running into my classroom. He was so excited. He said, look at this, look at this.”
Scott has a few friends and family with hybrid cars, he said. “I knew some things about it.”
He and his classmates wrote their letters after the classroom discussion turned to vehicles.
“I thought it was really cool for him to send me something to acknowledge me,” Scott said. “He answered all of my questions. He commented on everything.”
Dear Dr. Dieter Zetsche, CEO
I have been thinking a lot about alternative fuels, and I think that people would start to get interested in alternative fuel cars, but the problem is they aren’t the right cars for the people.
Most people just can’t live with a car that they have to recharge every hundred miles or so, and I think that Daimler-Chrysler’s alternative fuel cars are a good solution, but I think what has really gotten the people’s attention is Toyota’s Hybrid gas-electric Prius. It is electric, but you don’t have to plug it in, because it uses a gas engine and recharges the electric motor when the brake is in use.
I think it would be profitable to make these Hybrid cars,as well as better for the invironment. However, some people need the trunk space, like a pick-up, or passenger space, like a van. Some of my classmates tell me that they don’t think the Priuses look “cool” enough, and need to have style, like a sports car.
I think that Hybrid cars would get very popular with the people if there were different types of Hybrid cars. I’m looking forward to seeing what your company will come up with in the future.
Sincerely,
Tylor Scott 7th grade