Words on warming spark hot debate

Van Jolissaint, the Chrysler group's chief economist, found himself in hot water last week over remarks he made to a Detroit group on the topic of global warming.

Jolissaint told the Society of Automotive Analysts - according to a transcript that Chrysler released as the fray intensified - that working in Germany at DaimlerChrysler headquarters had "made me aware that the rest of the world views the threat of global warming with much more alarm than we do. …We think the problem is way, way in the future, with a high degree of uncertainty.

"Europe seems to take a political position that some people might describe - not me, of course - as quasi-hysterical, that the sky is falling. … We think (government and society) should deal with it in a step-by-step, rational way and not play much Chicken Little."

The BBC, in high dudgeon, reported that Jolissaint had "attacked European attitudes to global warming, describing climate change as 'way, way in the future, with a high degree of uncertainty.' "

Jason Vines, Chrysler chief spokesman, fired off a blog blasting the BBC, claiming Jolissaint was misquoted and issuing a transcript and an audio recording of Jolissaint's remarks that was difficult to decipher.

There is no variation between the transcript and the BBC's quoting of it. However, Jolissaint did say: "But we should do something today and we should do more tomorrow,' about global warming - a statement not included in the BBC report.

No apology was forthcoming from the BBC. But it did post Chrysler's transcript on its Web site.