Your 2010 Iowahawk Grand Champion Carbonator

In summary, wow.

The 5th Annual Iowahawk Earth Week Virtual Cruise-In is at end, and what a cruise it was. An amazing display of fossil-fuelers from all over the globe -- over 80 vehicles from 25 states and 5 foreign countries.

Worthy contestants all, but sadly only one can claim the coveted title of Grand Champion Carbonator -- and its windfall prize of 1,000,000 Iowahawk carbon credits. Emails have been coming in expressing support for their favorite cars, motorcycles, boats and thermonuclear missiles. To all of you who demanded I name President Obama as repeat champion after his latest Earth Day jumbo jet joy ride, you certainly have a point; but that would be unfair, and Iowahawk is all about fairness.

Several other readers touted Rahm Emanuel for the prize, after this one-cheek methane sneak attack during a recent discussion of environmental policy on the Charlie Rose Show:

A reasonable suggestion, but unless Mr. Emanuel was on rollerskates no vehicle was directly involved. And, while I appreciate the irony of his gastric faux pas, the total pollution created sounds to be minor (though Mr. Rose may beg to differ). I'm afraid this fart was the equivalent of a high school boy's Honda ricer, or Rahm himself: loud, threatening, sputtering, but incapable of doing any real damage.

But I was eventually swayed by the thoughtful nomination of reader Milt Clary, who pointed out there is one obvious, indisputable champion of global atmopheric pollution this year. And that champion is....

Drumroll please....