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"The first money I ever made and was able to invest, I invested in an
alternative energy company going back 25 years," he said. "Like a lot of
Americans, I've been watching as the climate changes and as we are in a war on
terror where our oil addiction helps fund people that want to kill us. It's
gotten my attention."
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He promoted plug-in hybrids, which have both electric and gasoline motors,
plus a battery pack that can be recharged at home.
Lowe, who drives a converted PHEV from A123, said, "I have been driving this
car around and I have to tell you, it did what my mother couldn't do. It did
what my driving instructor couldn't do -- it's made me a better driver," Lowe said.
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Copyright 2007 The Associated Press
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Social scientists weren't available to corroborate how Lowe's visit coincided
with an unusually packed committee hearing room of about 70% women, so we'll
just pass that fact along without comment.
Justin Hyde
DetroitFreePress.com
July 15, 2007
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CONGRESSMAN, ACTOR ROB LOWE PUSH
FOR PLUG-IN CAR TAX BREAKS
By David Shepardson
Detroit News Washington Bureau
July 13, 2007
WASHINGTON -- The chairman of the House global warming committee and
actor Rob Lowe called for tax incentives for hybrid owners to convert their
vehicles to plug-ins.
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To tout the effort, the pair tooled around Capitol Hill today in a plug-in
hybrid Toyota Prius surrounded by photographers and camera crews.
U.S. Rep. Ed Markey, D-Mass., held a hearing to tout his proposal to offer
hybrid owners a 35 percent tax break to convert their hybrids to plug-ins.
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Lowe's appearance drew network crews from Fox News and CNN.
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"I'm not a Mensa member, but I play smart guys on TV," Lowe testified. "Can't
our powerful Detroit automotive industry be given the message, together with
effective incentives, to speed up their conversion to plug-in hybrids?"
Lowe even quoted his character on West Wing, Sam Seaborn, twice in making
the pitch for Markey's bill. "As I once said on the West Wing, 'Over the past
century we've split the atom. We've spliced the gene and we've roamed
Tranquility Base. We've reached for the stars and never have we been closer to
having them within our grasp.'"
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Actor Rob Lowe and Rep. Ed Markey, D-Mass., drive
off in a A123 Systems plug-in hybrid after testifying before the House Select
Committee on Energy Independence and Global Warming in Washington
Thursday.
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