Blackmail Big Three into better corporate citizenship before they get bailout money?

In an article published Tuesday on Huffington Post, environmental activist Laurie David proposes that we not follow through on the proposed bailout for Detroit automakers until the Big Three get serious about global warming by dropping their lawsuits against states that have passed more stringent emissions laws because they’re tired of waiting for the feds to do something.

Here’s a clip:

Detroit’s three-month lobbying blitz apparently paid off, as automakers stand with hands outstretched ready to accept the first $25 billion in direct federal loans recently funded by Congress — the largest federal aid package ever offered to the U.S. auto industry. Over the past few months, their top executives went to Washington to schmooze with Congress and some of the companies offered teasing glimpses at what they called “future” technologies that might someday hit the roads — if enough money flows from taxpayers’ wallets to make it so.

But there’s a serious lapse of reason here.

If we are handing over billions of our tax dollars to Detroit for automakers to retool their plants to build cleaner, more fuel efficient vehicles — something they should have done on their own a decade ago — the least we should demand in return is that the auto giants drop their ridiculous lawsuits against states that are trying to curb global warming emissions from cars and trucks.

So, good idea or bad idea — what do you think?