Here are the top ten corporations in Fortune magazine's global 500:

1. Exxon Mobil 6. Chevron
2. Wal-Mart Stores 7. DaimlerChrysler
3. Royal Dutch Shell 8. Toyota Motor
4. BP 9. Ford Motor
5. General Motors 10. ConocoPhillips

What does it say that 9 are automobile or petroleum companies?

Well, your question is pretty rhetorical but I'll post an answer anyway.

It says what everyone knows - we are completely dependent on oil to the extent that most of the talk of alternatives is lip service. That Ford and GM are up there is a huge problem since neither is really doing what they need to. Ford is releasing hybrids now but GM is still heavily marketing the Hummer. With all the money that goes to these corporations, we could find much better solutions.

I own a hybrid Toyota and it's a great car but I have several ideas of how it could be even better. I believe that if there was a will for GM and Ford to make advancements that they would be the companies best suited to do so, their profits show that they have no need to do it.

I agree with animator2002 because I do 100% feel that it is a rhetorical question. Our world is dependant on energy and the companies that build things that feed on energy will forever capitalize. As long as petroleum is around, companies like GM will capitalize.

The Global 500 list, of course, is based on revenue. In some years, my local coffee shop does better than GM and Ford.

Ford, in particular, has made great strides with hydrogen cars (recently breaking 200 mph with a hydrogen car). Sadly, the byproduct is the most pervasive of greenhouse gases.

I recommend "Who Killed the Electric Car" (Documentary) to everyone I talk to these days.

It's an outstanding documentary.

As many know, I work in the natural gas industry...and it pains me that the LEAST harmful of the fossil fuels is being so fought against in the US.

I'm all for renewable and self-sustainable energy, as is my company...but it's going to take time.

Oh...and it's going to mean that the "oil" people stop looking at all the money and see what they're doing to our planet!

The electric car? We have those in London.The first problem is the jokers who keep asking how many miles of power cable you need. The second is that you have to find a socket at either end of any worthwhile journey and recharge the battery. The third is that they have little performance.However the milk floats (trucks that deliver milk door to door) in Britain have been all electric powered for many decades.They travel slowly, have a delivery round of only a few miles, lasting a few hours, and are out of commission overnight whilst being recharged.

Your best immediate solution in America is to drive European cars, ideally ones powered by diesel, as we do . Then you get a lot of miles to a gallon and dollar If you could provide good public transport as well and persuade people to use it, that would help a lot (another feature of European life). And you could try taxing your gas as we do. A gallon costs over $7 in Europe but about $4-80 is tax !