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Rev Timothy Finigan
Catholic Theological Association Annual Conference, Durham, 12 September 2012
A wild and inaccurate generalisation but one that might have some use as an overall framework in considering two subjects that are individually disparate in different ways would be to say that the New Movements are part of the John Paul II generation and the Catholic use of the new media is part of the Benedict XVI generation. Immediately we must make exceptions. The Faith Movement was founded during the pontificate of Pope Paul VI and there have been new groups founded since the accession of Benedict XVI. The Vatican website went online during the reign of Blessed John Paul II.
Nevertheless, the encouragement and flourishing of the new movements happened during the pontificate of Blessed John Paul II. His own ministry to the young and to new movements in particular make this more than simply a correlation. He invited the charismatic movement to meet him in Rome, he put the neo-catechumenate on the map as a group that could be recognised by the Holy See not least for its astonishing success in producing vocations against every trend in the Western Church. Pope John Paul's own charisma and, if we may be so bold, showmanship, was attractive both to the UNIV conferences of Opus Dei and to the enthusiastic character of Youth 2000.
We might instinctively put Pope Benedict among the realms of those who would prefer a handwritten letter to an email, react instinctively against Wikipedia because anyone can write anything, or protest against the Kindle by saying "I like the feel of a real book." Yet he has devoted three of his messages for World Communications day to the new media. To my personal relief, he actually encouraged priests to blog. He has tweeted (pipiverit), and his first tweet was to launch the new Vatican news website.[1] More seriously, after the lifting of the excommunications of the Bishops of the Society of St Pius X in January 2009, the Church was damaged by the media storm consequent on the broadcasting of an interview with Bishop Williamson who denied the existence of the Nazi gas chambers. The interview had been recorded several weeks earlier but was broadcast on the Thursday before the announcement was made, the day on which the document had been delivered to the SSPX. The Holy Father accepted honestly that they should have used the internet to gain information about Bishop Williamson:
Would you have signed the decree lifting the excommunication if you had known that among the four bishops there was a person who denied the existence of the Nazi gas chambers?
No. If I had known, the first step would have been to separate the Williamson case from the others. Unfortunately, though, none of us went on the Internet to find out what sort of person we were dealing with.[2]
Perhaps it would not be too much to suggest that someone other than the Pope should have taken five minutes to google the words Bishop and Williamson.
The rise of blogs as a means of communication moved into the mainstream not long before the election of Pope Benedict and it was around this time that Catholic blogs began to take off in a big way. There was a considerable history from the late nineties prior to this, but the Pontificate of Pope Benedict coincided with the growth in the use of blogs as a popular medium among Catholics. In addition, Facebook began expanding to non-US universities a few months after Pope Benedict's election, and the following year opened up to everyone. At the same time, Twitter was launched on the world. These developments in the use of the internet have affected the lives of millions (in good and bad ways as ever). Twitter enabled an even more rapid dissemination of news and information, especially by journalists, bloggers and celebrities. Facebook found a way into the homes (or phones) and lives of millions.
Although there were some fine Catholic blogs in full swing before the election of Pope Benedict (some of which provided the inspiration and motivation for me to use this medium) it is really since his election that Catholic blogging has taken off, making it a phenomenon that has had a major impact on Catholic life largely during his pontificate. Blogging and the use of Twitter and Facebook are very different from the experience of being part of a new movement, but for the purposes of this paper, I want to consider this use of the new media as a special category of new movement in its own right. The word "special" is important: notoriously the use of new media could justly be considered to embody Terence's quot homines tot sententiae,[3] (there are as many opinions as there are people) but I believe that we need not resign ourselves to the follow-up suo quoique mos (each to his own way) and despair at finding enough common purpose among Catholic bloggers and tweeters to describe it as a movement of sorts at least.
Before looking in more detail at this new kind of quasi new movement, I want to look a little more closely at the characteristics of the old-style new movements and one or two of the problems that they face today. As a trustee of the Faith Movement, I do not undertake this exercise as a judge from outside but bring my own experience to bear.
Let us be positive first of all. The new movements have typically attracted young people during a period in which Catholic practice has continued to decline sharply by any measurable index, whether Mass attendance, number of baptisms, number of Catholic weddings, number of entrants to the seminary or any of a host of other figures.[4] From time to time green shoots of recovery are announced, or we might comfort ourselves with good figures from elsewhere in the world, but in Europe and North America, the picture has been, and continues to be bleak. It is particularly bleak in Great Britain which is, of course most relevant to us at this Conference.
The Lancaster Voice last year created something of a media storm when it urged us to be honest and recognise that our Catholic schools have produced five million lapsed Catholics.[5] Even if some argue that this was a rather stark way of putting it, we could scarcely deny that looking around our Churches on a Sunday morning, if there are any young people between 14 and 25 the number is less than we might hope for. In this context, the gathering of 150 or 200 youngsters at various conferences in the summer by the new movements has to be worthy of comment. Most parish priests would agree that if a teenager came to confession regularly, knew what to do, and made a sensible devout confession, we would ask (whether explicitly or implicitly) where they got their formation The most likely answer would be in one of the new movements, Opus Dei, or a homeschooling family (or indeed one or other of the traditionalist environments which we must consider in due course.) We would recognise that we have largely failed as parish priests to provide that formation ourselves.
(Some might maintain that you can be a good Catholic without going frequently to confession. I don't intend to engage in that argument but would simply claim that it tells us something if young people who are part of new movements go to confession regularly.)
Despite these positive elements, there have been some problems for new movements and one or two that seem to be common to many of them. The first might be described as the charismatic leader problem. In the Church's history, new congregations have often had to face a crisis at the death of their founder. New movements are not immune from this, and sometimes face the problem of their founder during his or her lifetime. The most spectacular, and damaging example of this is undoubtedly the nefarious behaviour of Marcel Maciel, the founder of the Legionaries of Christ. His case illustrates just how badly things can go wrong when a powerful charismatic figure has total control of a movement. For other movements, thankfully not afflicted by such a scandal, there may also be the need to ensure that one person does not have absolute control, that there is some accountability, and the possibility of questioning the founder's insights or statements that are core to the ethos of the movement. One safeguard is to have an ecclesial sense which subjects everything to the magisterium of the Church and to the law of the Church. Another is a firm belief in the Church's doctrine of original sin and the weakness of fallen humanity.
New movement also face the need for what I would call a process of ecclesial maturing. Movements often grow up with particular customs that help to give a sense of cohesion. That is no bad thing in itself. (However, if the celebration of the Liturgy is involved, the movement itself needs to take notice of the Church's liturgical law, and developments in that law, particularly in the correction of liturgical abuses.) Sometimes, movements begin with a relatively naive summary of Catholic theology which has a particular ethos for that group, usually with a special emphasis on a devotion or project which distinguishes the group. Perhaps it is an emphasis on one of the titles of Our Lady, perhaps it is an insightful approach to one of the problems thrown up by 20th century theologians, concerning nature and grace, for example, or a new approach to implementing Catholic social teaching. As young members of the movement go on to study, to become priests or religious, to obtain doctorates in their own right, it is prudent for the movement to which they are committed to recognise the expertise that has grown up within the movement, and make it a part of the gift that the movement brings to the Church.
This is not always an easy process for those who have been engaged in the movement for a large part of their lives, but it is obviously an enrichment given, by way of ordinary providence. In the Faith Movement, we have tried to address this by holding a Theological Symposium each year for theology graduates, both priests and lay people, hearing of doctoral research, gaining some new insights into the question of science and religion from both scientists and theologians, and learning from those who are teaching at seminaries and universities. The work of Fr Holloway, the founder of the Faith Movement, can thus be subject to some critical appraisal by those who are involved in research or teaching. I hope that we succeed in getting the balance right, though, of course, we are always learning. Other groups such as the Franciscans of the Immaculate similarly hold theological conferences at which papers of a high academic standard are presented, discussed and published, helping to further their own particular concern of the revival of the Franciscan school of theology. For groups without an academic apostolate as part of their charism, the integration of the academic expertise of their members may be more challenging, but it is certainly a challenge worth rising to.
Generalising again, though I hope with some purpose, we could say that many of the new movements are marked by what is called neo-orthodoxy or, probably less acceptably neo-conservatism (groups with a social justice charism would often find it objectionable to be referred to as conservative.) Many would see the Liturgy as something important, to be celebrated with reverence, and older members would recall the days when they were seen as ultra-traditional for emphasising devotion to the Blessed Sacrament or Our Blessed Lady. They accept the teaching of Humanae Vitae, they followed Blessed John Paul with enthusiasm, they take part in the World Youth Days, they study the Catechism of the Catholic Church, they say the rosary, and if priests or religious, they dress distinctively. They cheered to the echo at the election of Pope Benedict. Then came the blogs and Summorum Pontificum. Suddenly, it seemed, the centre of gravity shifted around them and they became in some quarters the object of criticism from a new generation of articulate commentators who were promoting positions that were long since abandoned as unnecessary. If the new Mass is celebrated reverently, there is no need for the Tridentine Mass, surely? Why should anyone criticise Blessed John Paul? or even Pope Benedict? We must therefore consider the phenomenon of the new young traditionalists and their troublesome blogs.
When I became editor of Faith Magazine in 2001, I introduced a column called Faith Online which was a review of new Catholic websites. In those days it was a realistic project to cover a representative selection at least. One of the most exciting developments was the launch of the Vatican's own website in 1995: making the Vatican an impressively early adopter although unfortunately the website itself is now hopelessly "Web 1.0"[6] and seems incapable of reform. (Perhaps there is a metaphor that some of you may appreciate for the difficulties involved in the reform of the Roman Curia.) At around the same time, the New Advent website announced the seemingly impossible project of putting the whole of the Catholic Encyclopaedia online as a free resource for all. This early experiment in crowd-sourcing was a remarkable success that is now taken for granted.
In those early days, forums and message boards were the place to be if you wanted to find out breaking news. They still remain a part of the Catholic presence on the internet and are still of great use, but usually in terms of special interest groups retaining something of the community feel of the early newsgroups. Although the Vatican did pave the way with its website, many in the Church were sceptical about the value of this new means of communication. I remember my very kindly former Archbishop asking me "What is email? Is it like a fax?" I struggled to find the right answer to that.
Just as one might explain that an email is a string of text sent from one computer to another via other linked computers, one might say that a blog is a series of strings of text (that may include hyperlinks, graphical files or embedded videos) posted in reverse chronological order. Neither of those definitions remotely captures what has actually happened. They both omit the fundamental element of communication that it is interpersonal and therefore can have an impact on belief and behaviour. Both email and blogs (and latterly Twitter and Facebook) have enriched and destroyed the lives of others. Letters, books and the electric telephone have done the same in the past. We now have more powerful means to love and to hate, to destroy and to build.
The election of Pope Benedict coincided with a rapid growth in the use of blogs by Catholics. Many new Catholic blogs took their cue from him, my own included. In my own case it was a recognition of the powerful idea of reading Vatican II according to a hermeneutic of continuity and reform within the one subject Church; others (many) focussed particularly on the Liturgy; others again on the family, pro-life issues and the political campaign against the redefinition of marriage. One of the pressing issues for many bloggers was how to deal with comments, whether to allow everything (most people realise at some point that this is not possible), whether to register commenters, whether to refuse anonymous comments, and how to respond to insulting comments.
It became apparent that probably the majority of Catholic blogs were enthusiastic in supporting the teaching of the magisterium; disturbingly for those settled in an earlier post-Vatican II consensus, Catholic blogs were ready to criticise liberal Bishops, to embed YouTube videos of liturgical abuses, to demand a more decisive and confrontational approach to political leaders who proposed restrictions on the Church's apostolate, and, with effective visual appeal, to promote the celebration of Mass according to the usus antiquior.[7]
The Motu Proprio Summorum Pontificum was a major blogging event. During the year before its promulgation there was fevered speculation about its form and content, and inevitable ancillary argument over whether we should be speculating at all. A light-hearted two minute video which I threw together late at night and posted on the morning of the document's publication actually reached the top ten videos on YouTube in the UK that week. All over the world there are blogs devoted to giving information about forthcoming extraordinary form Masses, posting photos and videos of them, and usually complaining that there is not a greater provision. It would be an understatement to say that there is a mismatch between the enthusiasm shown on the blogosphere for the older form of the Mass, and the attitude shown by most Bishops and those in senior positions in our dioceses. The interesting question raised by this is whether the blogosphere is simply, as many would say, an unrepresentative selection of extremists, or whether there is a voice among those who are relatively young, that has broken away from the assumptions that we have made in the past about what the young want, or what is relevant to them. We have already noted that the majority of our young people do not go to Mass. What if a significant proportion of those who do, are attracted to more traditional liturgy? Is that simply a function of the families, groups that managed to motivate young people to attend Mass, or have we actually got something wrong in the way that we try to appeal to the young?
At the same time, there is a process of fragmentation consequent upon the open nature of social media. Many organisations have found that conducting discussions by email can lead to intemperate statements that people would not make face-to-face, entrenched positions that could be resolved by reasonable live discussion, and unnecessary divisions within an organisation. The social media have great power but will never replace that interaction in which we can unconsciously respond to body language, tone of voice, and facial expression; we still need to meet each other in the flesh. In fact, the criticism of social media that it hinders live personal communication and the making of true friends needs to be set against the opportunities for meeting people in real life that are made possible. Personally I have met people from around the world with whom I would never have come into contact without the blog. I have had most enjoyable and enlightening trips to Helsinki, Estonia and Poland as a direct result of communicating by social media. It is not a one-way street.
Nevertheless, the fragmentation of groups and people within the Church is a real danger. Arguments rage over whether the rubrics of 1962 should be strictly observed or whether the rot really set in under Pope Pius XII (or St Pius X or Leo XIII). The launch of Catholic Voices was accompanied by bitter discussion over its direction and some of the positions taken on the Pope's comments on condoms. How precisely to respond to the news of a celebrity priest whose moral failings have been exposed leads to furious polemic over who is really writing in the best interests of the Church. When Twitter was invented, I used to explain that it was like blogger on cocaine. This description can be frighteningly accurate when a flame war erupts and becomes a firestorm overnight. As Catholics we should be conscious of the moral dimension of the use of social communication. There needs to be a process of ecclesial maturing here too.
This year, as part of the Year of Faith, we celebrate the 50th anniversary of the opening of the Second Vatican Council. In a decree that is not the most widely referenced of the documents of the council, the Fathers said:
All the children of the Church should join, without delay and with the greatest effort in a common work to make effective use of the media of social communication in various apostolic endeavours, as circumstances and conditions demand. They should anticipate harmful developments, especially in regions where more urgent efforts to advance morality and religion are needed.[8]
Although computers were in their infancy (the first disk storage drive was produced in 1962) and the internet was some years off, the principle that the Council set out is as relevant today as it was then. The difference is that at the time of the Council it was appropriate to speak in ponderous terms of offering technical training to laymen and the increase of school facilities and institutes for people to offer this "sound training."[9] Now any teenager with a smartphone can set up a blog or a twitter account in five minutes and broadcast his words of wisdom to the world.
To the surprise of nearly everyone, the meeting of bloggers that was hosted by the Vatican last year was a resounding success. Hilary White, a long time member of the blog ring called the "League of Evil Traditionalists" and others were sceptical enough to arrange an alternative meeting in a Rome pub the same day, to be addressed by Michael Voris of Real Catholic TV. I confess to giving them some encouragement. In the event, the Vatican meeting dispelled the fears of bloggers who suspected that there would be an attempt to impose an official status for Catholic bloggers on the part of Vatican officials who didn't understand how new media worked. Fr Lucio Ruiz, the head of the internet service of the Holy See said:
The Holy See has for some time excluded the idea that one might in some way put a 'Catholic stamp of approval' to sites and blogs that present themselves as Catholic ... We are not a sect.[10]
The Pontifical Council for Social Communications arranged for a layman to organise the meeting and set the agenda and tone, and Vatican Radio actually reported on the alternative pub meeting.[11] Hilary White was among the 150 bloggers who attended the official meeting and said:
What I think is that they (the Vatican) are trying to do today is to send out a message to the National Bishops Conferences to say 'let them go, bloggers are here to stay and that they're going to keep saying things that people don't want them to say and they're going to keep looking under rocks that nobody wants them to look under.'[12]
The conversion of Catholic bloggers to approving the Vatican meeting is an example of one important aspect of blogging that is positive. Generally speaking, bloggers are willing to correct errors swiftly when they are pointed out, and to be more flexible than the mainstream media in admitting errors of judgement. Plenty of counter-examples could be cited but as a general rule, the social media illustrate what Fr Zuhlsdorf has called a "Reverse Gresham's Law." Gresham's law states that bad currency drives out good. On the internet it is often true that good information drives out bad. A blogger may doggedly insist on a falsehood, but there are a thousand other bloggers who will mercilessly point out the error so that anyone searching on google will have the truth available to them.
The rise of the Catholic blogosphere was not something engineered by Pope Benedict, though his election proved to be a focal point for many new bloggers at a time of growth. What he has done is to encourage this phenomenon and to give some fatherly guidance. Three successive annual messages for World Communications Day were devoted to the digital media. In 2009, the Holy Father spoke of how new technologies had brought about a shift in patterns of communication and human relationships. He addressed the "digital generation" encouraging the promotion of human understanding and solidarity. Remarkably he addressed the concept of Christian friendship in the context of a digital concept of "friend", a clear reference to Facebook. Towards the end of his message, he appealed to young Catholics:
It falls, in particular, to young people, who have an almost spontaneous affinity for the new means of communication, to take on the responsibility for the evangelization of this "digital continent". Be sure to announce the Gospel to your contemporaries with enthusiasm. You know their fears and their hopes, their aspirations and their disappointments: the greatest gift you can give to them is to share with them the "Good News" of a God who became man, who suffered, died and rose again to save all people.[13]
The following year, the Holy Father addressed priests particularly. He spoke of the way in which digital communications offer priests new possibilities for proclaiming the word of God.
The spread of multimedia communications and its rich "menu of options" might make us think it sufficient simply to be present on the Web, or to see it only as a space to be filled. Yet priests can rightly be expected to be present in the world of digital communications as faithful witnesses to the Gospel, exercising their proper role as leaders of communities which increasingly express themselves with the different "voices" provided by the digital marketplace. Priests are thus challenged to proclaim the Gospel by employing the latest generation of audiovisual resources (images, videos, animated features, blogs, websites) which, alongside traditional means, can open up broad new vistas for dialogue, evangelization and catechesis.[14]
Since April 2006, my blog has had six and a half million page views from nearly 4 million visitors. Other priests I know have up to ten times the number of readers that I have. Even a relatively low traffic blog by a priest who simply posts his sermons each week would get in excess of 200 unique visitors per day. There is no way that we would reach that number of people by preaching in Church or even by standing on a soap box in the local shopping mall. A priest who blogs is made acutely aware of his responsibilities by the (unmanageable) correspondence that he receives from the faithful who are grateful, confused by things that have happened in their local Church, in need of prayer, or puzzled by some aspects of Catholic doctrine. Whatever criticisms we might have of individual priests' blogs this platform is certainly a means that can be used for evangelisation.
In 2011 Pope Benedict addressed the question of the internet a third time. He spoke of a vast cultural transformation parallel to the industrial revolution. I would suggest that it is also parallel to the invention of moveable type, something especially relevant to evangelisation. In this message he addressed the dangers of "cyberspace" particularly in regard to personal authenticity. He also reaffirmed that direct personal contact can never be replaced by virtual friendships and that such contact was fundamental for the transmission of the faith. He called us back to Christ:
In the final analysis, the truth of Christ is the full and authentic response to that human desire for relationship, communion and meaning which is reflected in the immense popularity of social networks. Believers who bear witness to their most profound convictions greatly help prevent the web from becoming an instrument which depersonalizes people, attempts to manipulate them emotionally or allows those who are powerful to monopolise the opinions of others.[15]
In these messages, Pope Benedict used his authority, which is hugely respected by many Catholic bloggers, to offer a deeper vision of social communication and to invite us to an examination of conscience which is necessary from time to time when communication is made so easy, effective and powerful.
My parish Director of Music goes from time to time to St Cecilia's Abbey in Ryde for a class in Gregorian chant with one of the Sisters. Recently she and another parish music director showed Sister their iPads with the Liber Pro app which can call up the appropriate page of the Liber Usualis for any given Mass. Sister asked how long the iPad would last. They explained about 18 month and two year contracts and how they would probably upgrade. Sister said that generally in the monastery they expected their books to last for fifty years. At Parkminster (where I recently taught theology) the Novice Master told me that a book expert had been fascinated by their Graduale and Antiphonarium which had been printed and bound on site in 1884. He asked how they had been maintained in such fine condition. The answer was that they had been used every day.
These incidents illustrate the cultural transformation of which Pope Benedict spoke. The printed book transformed the way in which liturgical texts and music, works of theology, and of course Bibles were made available to the masses. Now, on the internet, it is possible to download free of charge all of the texts used in the traditional liturgies. One of the heated discussions on the internet over the new ICEL translation was not to do with the structure of sentences or the words "wrought" and "gibbet" but over copyright. It was pointed out that a number of composers were willing to make texts available free of charge online but were prevented from doing so by ICEL's enforcement of copyright. Catholic book publishers have so far failed to get to grips with the phenomenon of electronic book readers (and do a disservice to their authors by this failure) while some Bishops in the US are publishing "kindle only" books.
The low cost of digital storage and the ever increasing speed at which we can download from the internet are all making for new possibilities in the communication of information. The invention of the tablet and the fierce competition currently underway to make such devices better is changing the nature of the physical piece of equipment that we use as a computer. We need not expect that Facebook, Twitter and blogs will be around for too long before they become grandad's way of using the internet. These current developments, and the knowledge that we don't know what will be coming next, show us that we need to adapt and survive in the digital world.
This is true of the new movements and of the quasi new movement of the bloggers and tweeters. It is also true of the Church in her efforts at evangelisation and in her engagement with the young who have that "spontaneous affinity" with new technology of which Pope Benedict spoke. In all of these areas, the famous quotation from Lampedusa's "Il Gattopardo" (for which I give, in blog-speak a "hat tip" to Fr John Zuhlsdorf) applies: "Se vogliamo che tutto rimanga com'è, bisogna che tutto cambi" (If we want everything to remain as it is, it is necessary for everything to change.)
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[1] This took place on 28 June 2011. The text of the tweet was: "Dear Friends, I just launched http://t.co/fVHpS9y Praised be our Lord Jesus Christ! With my prayers and blessings, Benedictus XVI"
[2] Benedict XVI. Light of the World. Pope, the Church, and the Signs of the Times. A Conversation with Peter Seewald. (Translated by Michael J. Miller and Adrian J. Walker.) Catholic Truth Society. London. 2010.
[3] Terence. Phormio line 254
[4] See for example the figures published by Georgetown University affiliated research centre, CARA for the United States (http://cara.georgetown.edu/CARAServices/requestedchurchstats.html).
[5] Catholic Voice of Lancaster. Editorial. February 2012
[6] The term "Web.2.0" was introduced as a way of describing the development of interaction on websites and, more loosely, websites that have dynamically updated content. "Web 1.0" is therefore a term indicating websites that have only pages with static content.
[7] There is a lively debate on the blogs over how the older form of the Mass should be referred to. Most now reject the term "Tridentine Mass", some insist on the term "Extraordinary Form", others are less worried and will use various terms interchangeably. I am of the latter school.
[8] Second Vatican Council. Decree on the Media of Social Communications. Inter Mirifica. 1963. n.13
[9] Inter Mirifica n.15
[10] Reported by Vino Nuovo (http://www.vinonuovo.it/index.php?l=it&art=412)
[12] Transcribed from Vatican Radio interview
[13] Message of the Holy Father Benedict XVI for the 43rd World Communications Day "New Technologies, New Relationships. Promoting a Culture of Respect, Dialogue and Friendship." Sunday, 24 May 2009.
[14] Message of the Holy Father Benedict XVI for the 44th World Communications Day "The Priest and Pastoral Ministry in a Digital World: New Media at the Service of the Word." Sunday, 16 May 2010.
[15] Message of the Holy Father Benedict XVI for the 45th World Communications Day "Truth, Proclamation and Authenticity of Life in the Digital Age." June 5, 2011.


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It is strangely calming to watch the Imja glacier lake grow, as chunks of ice part from black cliffs and fall into the grey-green lake below.
But the lake is a high-altitude disaster in the making - one of dozens of danger zones emerging across the Himalayas as glaciers melt due to climate change. If the lake, at 5100 metres in Nepal's Everest region, breaks through its walls of glacial debris, known as moraine, it could release a deluge of water, mud and rock as far as 100 kilometres.
This would swamp homes and fields with a layer of rubble up to 15 metres thick, leading to the loss of the land for a generation. But the question is when, rather than if.
Mountain regions from the Andes to the Himalayas are warming faster than the global average under climate change. Ice turns to water; glaciers are slowly reduced to lakes.
When Sir Edmund Hillary made his successful expedition to the top of Everest in 1953, Lake Imja did not exist. But it is now the fastest-growing of some 1600 glacial lakes in Nepal, stretching down from the glacier for 2.5km and spawning three small ponds.
At its centre, the lake is about 600m wide and, according to government studies, up to 96.5m deep in some places. It is growing by 47m a year, nearly three times as fast as any other glacial lake in Nepal. ''The expansion of Imja lake is not a casual one,'' said Pravin Raj Maskey, a hydrologist with Nepal's ministry of irrigation.
The extent of recent changes to Imja has taken glacier experts by surprise, including Teiji Watanabe, a geographer at Hokkaido University in Japan, who has done field research at the lake since the 1990s.
Watanabe returned to Imja in September, making the nine-day trek with 30 scientists and engineers on a US-funded expedition led by the Mountain Institute. He said he did not expect such rapid changes to the moraine holding back the lake. ''We need action, and hopefully within five years,'' Watanabe said. ''I feel our time is shorter than what I thought before. Ten years might be too late.''
Unlike flash floods, a glacial lake outburst is a continuing catastrophe. ''It's not just the one-time devastating effect,'' said Sharad Joshi, a glaciologist at Kathmandu's Tribhuvan University, who has worked on Imja. ''Each year for the coming years it triggers landslides and reminds villagers that there could be a devastating impact that year, or every year. Some of the Tibetan lakes that have had outburst floods have flooded more than three times.''
But mobilising engineering equipment and expertise to a lake 5100m up, and several days' hard walking from the nearest transport hub, is challenging in Nepal, one of the poorest countries in the world. And scientists and engineers still cannot agree on whether to rate Imja as the most dangerous glacial lake in the Himalayas, or a more distant threat.
There are other contenders for immediate action, with some 20,000 glacial lakes across the Himalayas, although many are concentrated in the Everest region. Bhutan has nearly 2700.
John Reynolds, a British engineer and expert on glacial lakes who has worked in Nepal, argues the international community has focused on Imja because of its proximity to Everest and trekking routes popular with Western tourists. He says there are other, more hazardous lakes elsewhere.
The Nepali government ranks Imja among the six most dangerous glacial lakes in the country largely because it is growing so quickly. More than 12 other such lakes are also seen as high risk. Imja, though fast-growing, is held in by a relatively wide moraine, which makes it secure in comparison to some others.
Watanabe concedes the geography of the lake could keep disaster at bay, at least in the next year or two. But, he says, there are signs an outlet channel at the bottom of the lake may be widening dangerously.
Reynolds said Nepal and the international community needs to think of a Himalaya-wide action plan. ''As the climate is changing more glacial lake systems are forming,'' he said. ''The question is how to decide which are hazardous now and which are going to become hazardous in the future.''
Guardian News & Media

subset: commoncrawl


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Today's guest post on The Dashboard Spy is by Allan Wille, President and CEO of Klipfolio.
Myth: Managing by historical data is like driving while looking in the rear view mirror.
Catch Quote: "Managing through the rear view mirror. A dangerous practice for any business! You'd never drive only looking backwards."
You've heard lines like this one before…it has all the right ingredients to be remembered and retold. It's catchy, it paints a clear picture, adds a dash of FUD (fear, uncertainty, and doubt), and may even be confused with true wisdom!
Let's debunk this.
Let's frame the story by discussing measured data, environmental factors, and how decisions get made.
Measured data (we discussed measures, metrics and KPIs in this blog post http://www.klipfolio.com/blog/entry/305), or measurements are values associated with an agreed upon standard (such as km/h). For example, I'm driving at a speed of 50km/h. This is a "real-time" measurement, but it could have been; Yesterday, my top speed was 120km/h, or my average trip speed is 35km/h for the past 30 minutes. Measured data is historical no matter how you spin it. However, knowing when the data was measured is a critical factor that often gets left out of the "rear-view mirror" picture.
Let's say you're driving in an unfamiliar neighborhood. You know from experience (historical data) that on a street of this size, with children playing outside, you should probably not exceed 40km/h. Ahead, a road-sign warns of a school zone: 25km/h max. This is new data, and it will cause you to adjust your speed.
In that example, the sign is an environmental factor. When you're making business decisions, environmental factors might include competitive threats, economic opportunities, or regulatory changes. A simple way to differentiate might be to think of these as the external factors – the O and T of your SWOT analysis. Don't confuse environmental with a sudden snow storm…although that too, should cause you to drive differently.
Provided you're not flipping a coin, decision making is, of course, much more involved. Past experiences (measured historical data) are combined with cognitive and personal biases (know any folks at your office?), environmental factors, and time constraints to influence the choices people make. Read up at Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Decision_making. Interesting stuff.
I suspect that much of where the rear-view mirror warning comes from has to do with using an appropriate timeframe. My speedometer tells me how fast I'm going now, not yesterday – yes, that would indeed be dangerous. Is that the issue?
Ideally, and this is possible using today's dashboards and BI software, you would have the following decision support at your disposal:
1. Current performance (real-time or near-real-time)
2. Timeframe-appropriate historical performance data
3. Predictive or conditional alerts (based on goals, history, or environmental factors)
Let's add a pre-emptive note about predictive analytics – a wonderfully powerful tool to assist with future decision making. Keep in mind though, that predictive models exploit patterns found in historical and transactional data to identify risks and opportunities for future decision guidance.
Nobody has a crystal ball. However, a keen understanding of your history, an understanding of trends and cycles, awareness of your environmental factors, and smart, analytical thinking will help you predict what's around the next corner.
About the author:
Allan Wille is President and CEO at Klipfolio Inc. An expert in operational data visibility and performance dashboards, Allan helps global enterprises to simplify and grow KPI usage across the workforce to drive higher performance and profitability.
Allan is responsible for the strategic vision, direction and operations of Klipfolio. He is an evangelist of the company's vision to make operational metrics easier to use.


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Sunday pops
The Department of Veterans Affairs, now under siege nationwide for redefining dysfunctional bureaucracy and government lying, has spent nearly half-a-billion dollars solely on office makeovers under the Obama administration, reports The Washington Free Beacon. That included nearly $383,000 for window shades in Pittsburgh, installed in January as the VA was embroiled in a scandal over how it handled a fatal outbreak of Legionnaires' disease. Has the VA no shame? ... Writing in Investor's Business Daily, Scott Powell says the real goal of the Obama administration's more stringent clean air regulations is to give the government more direct control of yet another part of the economy. "After successfully bringing more than 30 percent of the U.S. economy — the healthcare and financial services industries — under political control during the first term," President Obama now wants 10.5 percent more, says Mr. Powell, a senior fellow at Seattle's Discovery Institute. It truly is the kind of behavior that foments revolutions. ... California Gov. Jerry Brown says climate-cluckers' predicted 4-foot rise in sea level would force the multibillion-dollar relocation of Los Angeles International Airport. LAX indeed is bordered by the Pacific Ocean. But given its elevation ranges from 108 feet to 126 feet above sea level, this is one bogus threat. A gubernatorial spokesman told the Los Angeles Times that Mr. Brown "misspoke." That's one way to put it.


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Ralston Arena Holds Job Fair Sunday
The Ralston Arena will hold their second annual job fair this Sunday, November 3rd from 2 to 4 p.m.
Job applicants, 18 years and older will be able to apply for several different part-time position.
Ralston Arena and City of Ralston Staff will be on hand to interview and hire applicants on the spot. The Ralston Police Department will be conducting background and drug testing on site as well.
All applicants must pass a background and drug test to be eligible for employment.
Positions Include:
Event Staff (ushers, ticket takers, parking)
Operations (load-in/out, set up)
Technical Services (sound, lighting, video, IT)
Food and Beverage (bartenders, catering, food prep, consessions)
Box Office
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South Jordan, UT
- Home
- Alternator Repair
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Transfer Case Repair
Transfer Case Repair in South Jordan, UT
At GT Automotive, we're now showing drivers in South Jordan, UT and beyond how much we care about their ability to drive in inclement weather: With our transfer case repair services, we're able to keep cars on the road so they don't break down in the heart of winter.
Don't Get Stranded
As a trusted provider of transfer case repair services, GT Automotive helps local drivers avoid becoming stuck in the snow, sliding and pitching during turns, or having trouble stopping. But we also help people keep moving through tough weather. Without the right transfer case repair work, a car might break down in the pitch-black night far from any help. But at GT Automotive, we work hard to give you the peace of mind you deserve.
Keeping a car healthy means keeping yourself safe, so if you suspect that your car needs repairs, don't delay: Call GT Automotive to set up an appointment for transfer case repair as soon as possible.
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High Quality Honest Service Professionals
I've been taking my Jeeps to GT Automotive for years. Most recently I had both front wheel bearing hubs changed out at about 40% less than what the Jeep dealership wanted to charge me. They have always been very up front about the "out the door" price I'll be paying (which is always reasonable and fair) and provide helpful, high quality professional service. All of their employees have always been kind and accommodating - I plan on staying with GT Automotive for years to come!
They're so FAST and I always know that it will be done right, and done well!
I just needed a simple oil change. I was greeted in my car, they already had all my info from my previous oil change and simply asked if I wanted to change everything just like last time. They finished faster than I was able to read a chapter in my book, and had me on my way. I love that the techs were clean and polite, I always feel valued when I go there, and I never worry that I will be gouged or taken advantage of. I will keep going back.
Great experience overall
Technician was very helpful and answered questions I had that were not related to the oil change I was there for. The wait time was reasonable- not extremely fast but I appreciate that they took the necessary time and didn't rush through. We didn't even mind the wait because my kids were entertained with the aquarium, crayons, toys, popcorn, etc. They loved it and didn't want to leave when our car was ready! I really love it when an automotive place goes above and beyond so I was thrilled to see that my mats had been vacuumed. They even topped off my windshield wiper fluids. Amazing value for the price I paid!
Have always had a good experience here and will keep coming back until I don't.
Wow, what a nice place to do business.. The service was fast, efficient and professional. I will use them again.
I thought the old days were gone.
Over the top honesty and service. My new place to get all my cars serviced. They could of charged me anything as it sounded bad. It was a simple fix and they did it for no charge. Reminds me of the old days when all mechanics were salt of the earth and honesty meant something. Kudo to GT Automotive.
Very pleased with GT Automotive
I will definatly return to GT for all my automotive repairs. I'm very impressed with how helpful they were when explaining the repairs that were needed to pass emissions. GREAT SERVICE.
Professionalism at its best
It is never a comforting feeling when you hear that something "master" has gone out on your car. You immediately see BIG $$ coming out of your checking account. The staff of professionals at GT are fair and honest in their interaction. They do what they say, are never pushy to do more than what is necessary to your vehicle, and strive to help you understand what has to happen before proceeding with the work. This is my second encounter with the same vehicle but different issue. It is a comforting feeling, especially at this holiday time, to know your hard earned dollars are not being taken advantage. Thank you GT for your help. Happy Holidays!
Quick and easy emissions test and sticker renewal
Super easy emissions inspection test. Literally took like 5-10 minutes and I was off and on my way.
Always a pleasure to go to GT Automotive. Prices fair, don't try to "up sell" you and very considerate workers
Great Service, Friendly and Fast
Great service, fast and friendly. I received an alignment and oil change. They explained things about my car that I was not aware of, and pointed out things I needed to get checked, even though they did not do that kind of work at their shop. Very nice and helpful. Will go back again.
My car loves this place!
Been a customer of GT automotive for over 20 years. They are knowledgable, friendly and affordable. I trust them to do the job right.
Got right in for I & E, as well as an oil change. They were done before I knew it. Nice added touches of popcorn and hot chocolate for me, and an air freshener for my car.
Great service - safety and emissions inspection
Service was prompt and thorough - and my car passed! I will consider returning for other service. Staff was courteous and efficient.
Fast and easy
Just how I like it
They were quick and efficient. Thank you!!!
Great Service, as always.
As always, the staff was very helpful and professional. I always feel like a valued customer and that they aren't trying to take advantage of us or nickel and dime us. On more than one occasion there have been multiple possible courses of action with varying levels of cost associated with each. I never felt like they were trying to steer me toward the more expensive route.
Extremely pleased!
I just moved to the area, hadn't even been able to unload my truck when the alternator failed. I found GT Automotive through Angie's List and felt comfortable giving them a try. The staff was wonderful and took exceptional care of me, working my truck into a very tight schedule. The price quote was also spot on which was helpful especially since moving is expensive. I would not only return to GT Automotive in the future I would also recommend them to my family and friends. Thank you for a wonderful, and speedy experience.
Quick and easy oil changes
I've been going to GT Automotive since March of this year and have been impressed by how organized they are and the speediness of their oil changes. They have been great to work with and do an excellent job. I hope to continue business with them with other car repairs/maintenance in the future.
Great First Visit
I was treated with nothing but politeness, urgency, and respect. I was shown exactly what was wrong with my car by a mechanic and they quickly got the parts and fixed it very quickly. I love that GT Automotive is versatile, clean, and basic prices are laid out ahead of time. I plan on making this my one and only shop as long as I continue to receive this same service.
I was satisfied with the service, but instead of the "15 to 30 min" that I was told it would take, I was there for over an hour.
Great communication!
Kept in constant contact letting me know what did and did not need to be fixed.
Very Helpful and friendly
Will always come back. They treat us very good. No problems. Thank You!
Done right
GT Automotive is a great option if you want something done right the first time. Word is out and they get busy, so it's not always timely to take your car here, but they have always done a fantastic job for the last 20 years that I've been taking cars to them!
Great service!
Thank you express lube for the quick and professional service.
As always, great service and friendly attitude! Ü
I have been going to GT Automotive for years and have never been disappointed. They are honest, want to make sure there are no surprises and have high quality of service.
Your staff is top notch. We appreciated your more than willingness to accommodate our request to hold on to the car for a week while we were on vacation. It was so great to know that your team would fix the problems we requested in the most efficient way. The old car does not warrant the spending of a lot of dollars, but it does need to keep going for a while longer. Your team took good care of us. Thank you so much. we will continue to bring our cars to your shop as well as recommend you to others.
This was an excellent experience. The service was top notch. Best of all I saved a lot of money. I was told by another mechanic that my O2 sensor and thermostat needed replaced to pass emissions. I agreed to this cost with GT automotive only to have them tell me later that they only charged me for the thermostat and after replacing it, the O2 sensor was working fine. This is definitely not common for a mechanic to charge you less than you agree to.
You are the ONLY place I will get my cars worked on!
GT was friendly, responsive, did a great job with my car, and were very fast. I recommend them if you need work done on your car. The only downside was the price, something they quoted was $1,300, but I received quotes from other places that were around the $900. The extra cost was worth it to me.
I appreciate you assisting me in keeping my 21 year old Honda running in a cost-effective manner!
Good service, open and I think pretty honest.
Great service. Very friendly, patient, and helpful staff (I worked with Ethan).
Took longer than expected for the work to be completed, but it was thorough and complete.
GT Automotive is the only place I will take my car for service. They are honest and give you an accurate and fair assessment of your car's problems. I feel that they have the best staff and are always a pleasure to work with.
We go to GT Automotive for all of our car repair needs. Highly recommend them to everyone!
GT Automotive has worked on several cars I've owned over the years. They are honest, charge a fair price for repairs (far below dealership prices) and warranty all their work. They put hours into trying to diagnose a check engine light issue for me, free of charge, because they had worked on it before. I appreciate Kyle and the GT team for taking care of all our car fix it needs!
GT Automotive is a place that works with honesty and great customer service as their priority. I have been taking my 2 cars there for everything since I moved to SLC 9 months ago. I highly recommend GT Automotive!
Excellent customer service! They always get to the heart of the problem. Really a great help!
Fantastic service. We highly recommend
I love the honesty and quality of work I always receive from the team at GT.
excellent service and support
I love GT! We always take our cars to them when we need anything done! They are fair and honest, my kind of Mechanics!!
Have been going to GT Automotive for years. I trust them to give me no nonsense, reasonable recommendations and quality work. Excellent service as usual!
Great service! They were able to get my car in quick, repairs were made in a timely fashion, explaining all they had accomplished, troubleshooting was much better than the dealer as well as the price. Highly recommend.
Even without an appointment, they were able to get me back up and running the same day. Fast, friendly service.
The best auto repair shop ever.
i want to thank you for getting the work done before the holiday.
After a complex repair that ended up not working, GT took my car back in and worked at the repair until it worked flawlessly, and with no extra charges. They are the best, which explains why my wife and I have been their customers for nearly 40-years.
Great service, let us know everything they were going to do before and under budget
Everyone at GT Automotive is always nice and cordial. They don't try to up-sale you and only do what your car needs. I always take my two cars there for everything from oil changes to new tires!
For the most part, thumbs up. They loaned me a car overnight when I needed one and they did check into a noise for free that I heard coming from from the front end. Repairs were made as promised and it is less expensive than at a dealer. I would suggest they be a bit more thorough when doing checks. I found the noise problem myself. It was a missing snap rivet that holds the bottom air shroud. Without this rivet, the shroud leans into the tire but only when the tire is turned to a specific spot and always on the opposite side of which way one is turning.
Everything fixed and no leaks
This was my first time at GT Automotive. I was totally satisfied with the experience and will be a repeat customer for sure. Ethan was great to work with and I got good service for a reasonable price. The price of the work was actually lower here than I had been quoted elsewhere.
I loved the service. They take really good care of their customer and are very informative. I will always take my car to GT Automotive when I have any issues.
Dependable friendly service. Would recommend to friends.
Fabulous service as always. Won't take my car anywhere else.
Quick turnaround, courteous employees, great communication and reasonable prices. Not sure what else you could ask for.
Great experience. Kyle was great to work with and kept me informed about what was going on with my car. Costs for the services provided were reasonable and fair.
This shop is very convenient for me and until now I have not had to use them for any repairs, other than emissions testing, which they did very promptly and were very professional and proficient.
Excellent customer service and pricing. I will continue to take my 6 old Toyota Camry in to GT for any future issues. They also have my business for any future oil changes.
I expected to wait a few days to have my emergency fixed due to the heavy workload. However, the same afternoon my car was fixed. I was elated and surprised! I've always had great service and timelines with GT!
My experience was outstanding as usual. I keep bringing my vehicle to GT Automotive for one primary reason: the people working there. Kyle has overseen my vehicles for several years now. He understands my vehicle and also understands me. I appreciate this very much. I have confidence in the work and evaluations of my vehicle whenever I need to bring it in for maintenance. Thank you especially to Kyle, but also to everyone working there for running such an outstanding business.
Great service. I was recommended to visit GT auto and they found a ton of stuff that our used car dealer neglected. Thanks!
They are friendly and helpful. Our car was going to be in the shop over the weekend and they provided a loaner. Overall we had a good experience. This time as well as all past visits.
Great and Friendly service. They got the work done in good time.
The team was great! They did not recommend services I did not need and got my car done quickly. Much cheaper than the Lexus dealer and more convenient. Thanks!
Always been satisfied with GT. Been with them for 24+ years.
I have been to you guys a couple of times now and once again I left there pleased with the work you have provided me. Great communication and the repairs were done in a timely manner. I will continue to use GT Automotive for all my repairs!
Very nice...need a TV in the waiting area!
As always, very satisfied with all aspects of our most recent need for your services. Thanks.
Great sevice, Great Value, In a timely manner. Thank You
Great service! I brought my 2003 Ford Taurus in because of some funny noises. Turned out to be two problems. GT Team was very thorough and fixed the problem for a lot less than I expected to pay. They have definitely earned a new customer, and I have already started referring others.
I had the 120,000 mile service done and it went very well. I appreciated the excellent way that things were handled.
Excellent service!
I was satisfied with the service. There was good follow-up and the employees were knowledgeable and helpful.
I was pleased with the service and courtesy shown by the GT Automotive staff. They always try to help make the repairs as reasonable and cost effective as possible. Thanks Kyle!
The customer service at GT is fantastic, I truly felt like they where sincerely going out of their way to make sure I didn't purchase service I didn't need. My suv is running so much better. Great expeience overall, we will be going there from now on.
GT Automotive have been caring for my Subarus for more than 20 years. I have always felt I received honest, fair service at a reasonable price.
After 30-plus years of great and loyal service, what more can I say? Thanks Tim and gang.
They were able to quickly diagnose and fix the problem with my car, however the price quoted was about 100-150 more than I would have paid at my normal mechanic. Only due to the fact that I broke down in South Jordan and couldn't get the car home did I take it there. Very satisfied with service, but a little too expensive.
Service was friendly and efficient. I took my car for regular maintenance and to have a noise diagnosed. They found the source of the noise as well as an oil leak that I was aware of but had not thought to have checked. I had not scheduled an appointment so I had to leave my car over night bu the repairs were done on time the next day.
The staff was courteous and I felt like they were totally honest about the repairs on my car.
Got me in and out quickly and were clear with all the repairs that I needed.
I was looking for a new repair shop within a five-mile towing distance, and this place was recommended by AAA. They were fast, reasonable, and friendly. Communication and customer service were excellent. I'll definitely use these guys again.
Very helpful, friendly and got me in very quickly and most importantly resolved my issue quickly.
I've only read great reviews about GT and I was not disappointed. They had great customer service and made sure that I had a ride to my job after I dropped my car off and when they called to tell me what was wrong they thoroughly explained it to me, I never felt like they were fixing something just to fix something like most car places. I am happy to make GT my new auto shop for all my car needs.
All the guys at GT automotive are great to work with.
Good work and great customer service.
Very professional and fast. Great communication.
I was able to drop my car of, they shuttled me to work, and picked me up. For someone who is single, this is Stellar Customer Service. They were honest, warm and friendly- Great Experience! Thanks.
It's always good to see a familiar face when you are bringing in your car for work. Nate and Jordan Paulk both worked with me and put me at ease that my problem was fixable and would be done quickly. They noticed other small problems (torn windshield wiper and old oil) so we fixed those as well. I knew I wasn't being hustled, but felt taken care of instead. Thanks for hiring trustworthy young men.
I love GT Automotive and won't take my car anywhere else. I feel they are honest and fairly priced and the staff is wonderful.
We had our timing belt service done with GT Automotive. I checked around and found they were the best price and much better than the dealer. It was done on time when quoted me. They were friendly to work with and very low pressure unlike many other car repair places. I will return for all my auto needs.
GT is always great I have been going to them for over 15yrs. They accurately diagnose the problems and stand behind their work. They go out of the way to please the customer.
I have been coming to GT automotive for over 30 years. In that time I've gone through several cars, but the one constant over all of these years is the excellence service I have received. They figured out a long time ago treating people fairly and only doing the repairs necessary at a fair price results in repeat business and great referrals. They continue to provide the best service at fair prices. Way to go guys!
As always, GT Auto provided excellent service. Unfortunately this visit the new fuel pump was defective, so I brought it back for a replacement. The car rean great after that until the next day when the car quit on the road. It could be that the fuel quantity output was disconnected. I thought it was strange that the fuel level looked the same over a two day period. It may be that the car quit due to zero fuel. Today we shall find out if the fuel quantity sensor was disconnected. Kyle and his crew were helpful in any regard.
As usual. Great service and communication. Thanks Kyle!
Great service. Got what I expected. I am continually impressed with the service provided. The only thing that could be better would be the price, but you also get what you pay for...
Repairs took a little longer than I had hoped, but was communicated with well and the repairs were done and the car's driving great. Thanks!
We took the car in because of noise in the front tires/breaks. They not only fixed that but found another problem that would have been dangerous if not found and fixed.
I have been coming to GT Automotive for over a decade. I trust these guys-they know their stuff and always seem to be aware of costs and try to give you options on repairs. Great customer service!
Brought my car in for an oil change. Nothing but courteous professional service. Thank you again for being so awesome!! looking forward to more years of doing business together.
Brought my car in expecting that I would need to leave it overnight. I was told they could get everything done in a half hour, and there would be no need to leave it overnight. Was very pleased with the service, and the cost of the service was much lower than I expected. Thanks again you guys. You seriously are the best.
In and out in a hurry. Excellent communication, and a great price. I keep coming back for these very reasons.
You guys are always great to deal with and quick to get the work done. Keep it up!
Such great service! As a busy mom, I love that they have a play area in their waiting room. Reasonable pricing and professional customer service.
Thanks Kyle and Tim for accomodating my car this week despite your repair backlog. I had tires rotated at Pep Boys and they claimed my rear brakes needed work.
As usual my vist was quick, professional and courteous. Thanks!
Had front brakes and a transmission flush done. I also had some questions about a couple of electrical problems which they checked out for me. the work was done on time and the price was very fair.The work that GT Automotive does is always first class and they care about their customers. they keep you informed of any problems they encounter or any changes that need to be made. I appreciate their honesty and great service.
I had another great experience taking my car into GT Automotive. Kyle made sure that my car was fixed suggesting the most cost effective solution and also found a ball & joint problem that could have been serious if left unfixed. Two thumbs-up for GT Automotive
I was met promptly as I exited my vehicle by a courteous attendent. He took my information and the keys in record time. I was in the shop for less than a half hour. This was wonderful considering I came in without an appointment. Great job!
Always do a good job. Would be nice if they cleaned up the oil better so that it would not drip after leaving the shop.
As always my experience was excellent. You are never disappionted with the end product
We were very happy with our service as always. GT always gives us the best price around, and we have never had to come back to get something redone. Prices are good, services are good, and a timely turn around will keep us coming back,
Thank you for providing fast and prompt service.
It is so good to know that you can go to have your car repaired and know that the people working there will be honest and concerned about your repair needs. we have been visiting GT automotive for many years and have always felt like we were treated as if we were family.
Excellent service, fast and professional.
Fast and helpful service as always!!!!
always top notch service. Will recommend to a friend.
Got us in and out at a reasonable price.
Kyle and the staff at GT are always willing to go the extra mile! I brought in my vehical which I had just purchased for a couple minor repairs. Kyle gave me a price for new some parts which in the end they did not need and my price was $150 less then I what I was quoted. The staff is always honest and willing to do the right thing. With todays saturated marketplace, I would recommend GT Automotive to anyone. I will not go anywhere else. My thanks to Tim, Kyle and the rest of the staff at GT Automove.
I had been told I had a leak in my transmission and took it to GT to have it fixed. GT found the real issue that ended up being much cheaper then fixing my transmission. They were speedy and very helpful. I may start to use them for all my car repair and oil change needs. Thank you GT
great service and great people, just like i have come to expect every time i go in.
Went in for a safety inspection and oil change. The tires needed rotation, so I had them do that. The next day the car felt funny and I took it back. They promptly balanced the tires for no charge and I was on my way.
very expedient. Friendly and nice waiting area for my kids.
My 2002 Chevy Astro has given me tons of grief, a "check engine" light that "shines" night and day. Kyle and the techs did not give up trying to figure out the problem. After several days of trying and daily updates, they finally found the problem and solved the issue. I was most happy when I was treated so fairly and honestly at close-out...time to pay the bill. Very professional, very thorough, very fair!! Thanks Kyle and the GT Auto Team!!
Excellent service and work. Thanks
GT Automotive always performs excellent service to our vehicles. They have very fair and competitive price. Their services are top notch. I always recommend GT Automotive to everyone.
The team was great. I complained about the last time I had my lens cleaned and they cleaned them for free. Certainly exceeded my expectations. I plan to take my cars to GT everytime I have an issue!
GT Automotive performed excellent service to our vehicle at a competitive price and stand by their performance. If something is not right they will fix it without hassle! I recommend GT Automotive to anyone who has a job too big to do yourself, or you simply do not have time to deal with it. A+++
Service is always wonderful and employees are friendly. There was nobody to tell me which bay to pullup to and it took them quite a few minutes to get over to me. There wasn't anybody else outside waiting so this surprised me a bit. But overall, a great experience.
GT Automotive has serviced several of my vehicles throughout the years. They do great service and keep me updated. And if something isn't right the first time for some unforseen reason, they have alway jumped right on it and corrected it. And most of the time, the owner is right there at the front desk. They have Earned my continued my business.
First of all, the gentlemen at GT are friendly. Mostly, they are honest and professional. You know where you stand at all times. They are also very efficient.
I dropped off the car for leaking radiator fluid and overheating one night & got it back the next day. I was pleased with the quick turn around time and courteous Service Advisor. I wasn't too happy that some bolt broke off when they were making a repair and that I had to pay $125 to have the bolts drilled out but overall I was pleased with the service. I also liked the citrus air freshner!
Excellent service, they are very helpful on the phone in answering my questions.
I was happy that I was able to take care of everything at one stop. I priced checked and GT was a better price and I trust them
I always appreciate the great service at GT Automotive. It is convenient to where I work which helps, but I would not keep coming back if I did not believe that the recommendations were honest. I feel sure that needed services are professionally provided, and that recommended services are in fact the way to go. Thank you!
you guys always do a great job and are always friendly and helpful Thanks again
We are pleased with GT Automotive, and take our Toyota vehicles there quite regularly.
You did everything I asked for, in a timely manner, and for a very fair price.
The shop and waiting room were very nice. The workers were kind of nice. I have had better service at my last visit.
I take all my vehicles and family members here! This time it was just for safety inspection and emissions but you never disappoint-fast,friendly service!!!
I appriciate the friendliness, quick and courtious service. The work areas are clean and well organized.
I've been to GT 2 times and both have been wonderful! They do a great job and they're very fast. I will definitely keep going back!
The employees at GT Automotive are always very helpful and I feel like they are extremely honest with me. When I took my car in for a safety/emissions inspection the connection to the state's website was down which was the state's fault and not GT's, but they went beyond my expectations and did not charge me for the state inspection. What great service!
We love taking our cars to GT, they are fast and very helpful.
Did a great job in assessing and resolving the problem! Thanks!
The Team at GT Automotive are very professional. This is my first time at their shop as a customer. I have a BMW and most auto shops never have the parts or knowledge. JOB WELL DONE. Give them all a raise.
The service we receive is excellent, and perhaps even more importantly, since we began bringing our car to GT Automotive we have been treated very well with the staff going the extra mile.
I worked with Boun and Kyle during my visit. Both were very warm and kind. They accommodated my requests and answered my questions. I will stay loyal to GT Automotive.
As usual I was well taken care of by a VERY friendly tech. I told him I might be driving the car to Florida so needed a few things looked at, oil change, tire rotatio, balance, fluids.etc. It was done in an hour. And he was honest and said my brakes were fine.
I have been to various auto shops...and these guys have it down. Especially Shaun, the guy that takes your call and sets things up. He is knowledgeable, friendly, and professional...honestly he makes the business...I have no idea what goes on in between setting up with Shaun and getting my car back...but I have total confidence that he is taking care of stuff.
excellent service and value at GT Automotive
once again, timely service and a nice explanation of what went wrong. A couple little post-repair issues were quickly corrected. it's why i keep coming back. thanks guys. kyle was particularly helpful.
I have taken my car to GT Automotive twice now. I have been impressed with the quality and the service thus far.
I have taken my car in for oil changes twice now and I have been impressed with the cleanliness of the building as well as the service and quality of work performed. I feel like they are fair and honest which is hard to find when it comes to automotive services! I will continue go to GT Automotive and refer family and friends.
Shaun is always so helpful when we bring our car in. They are fast - we had our car fixed in no time!
Stopped by for an oil change and was out the door in 15 minutes
Our experience with GT Automotive has been excellent. I appreciate their committment to great customer service and doing a complete and thorough job. We plan on continuing to use their services.
Your guys are awesome. I started going to you when you were at your old location and I continue to go because I TRUST you, plain and simple. I always receive great, friendly service. Tim , Shawn and everyone else are amazing. I recommend you to all my friends
Fast, Friendly and professional. I love the location, and they willing to help me get back to my family. We were having a family night out, found a leak, ran over & told them of the dilemma we were back on the road in no time. I will return.
I just went in for an oil change this time, but as always, the facility was clean, well maintained and the staff was helpful and professional. I do a lot of my own maintenance, but when I don't have time, or the job is just too big, GT Automotive is the only place to go!
Your personnel were very courteous, and took care of my every need. Thanks
GT Automotive is honest and always does a great job
GT Auto was fast and efficient. They completed an oil change for us quickly even without an appointment.
I made an appointment online for an oil change. When I arrived at my scheduled time and let them know I had an appointment for an oil change I was told they don't take appointments for oil changes. When I explained that I did it online and received a confirmation email, he apologized and said he would see how quickly they could get me in. I was in & out in less than an hour!
Price and time to replace the battery were very good. We have used GT for about 24 years.
As always, excellent, quick, and friendly!
I had a problem with my A/C and so I took it to them per a recommendation from a friend. They found another problem with my hood latch and fixed it at the same time. I was happy with the service they did and the time in which it took.
I appreciate the piece of mind that there is a 3 year warranty on the timing belt replacement! Thank you for doing the work on time as promised & at a fair price!
Fast and courteous service.
No problems. In and out quickly. Another great experience!
I received great advise on the work needed for my vehicle. The service was done right...and on time. My only complaint was the extra charge at checkout for supplies. I wasn't expecting that.
I originally brought the truck in after it broke down on me. They diagnosed the issue and I found that Nissan would cover it under a recall. They let me keep my ticket open and the discounted repair quote until Nissan did the work.
As always you do an awesome job. Told them about a rattle on the fron end and informed me within ten minutes my struts were done in and the amount it would cost if I wanted to replace them. Again awesome as always. :)
Good experience, prompt service, friendly people. Tried to upsell me a lot, which I realize is just part of the business. Guy didn't know my air filter was a K&N which was funny. Will come again as long as I have a coupon, otherwise cheaper to do it myself.
Great service.Very professional.Reasonable rates. I will be a customer in the future.
just stopped by for a safety/emission check and was in and out quickly. always pleasant people and nice service. Thanks again guys!....and my kids LOVE the aquarium.
I LIKE these guys. These guys really do know how to take care of customers. GT is a very professional group of people.
I went to get an oil change and they were very quick to fit me in. They also checked my tires and took out some nails for free. They were very nice and helpful.
Friendly people, could have had a cleaner waiting area but overall I liked my visit. This was my first time here.
Great service and the waiting area was kept clean.
These guys were great! They definately knew what they were doing, gave me honest answers, and treated me with kindness. I will definately be recommending their service to my friends.
It was done right on time
Excellent as always, very nice guys working at this facility and they never try to up sell! Very pleased.
Every thing was good, except, I had a hard time communicating with the counter person. However, it all worked out.
Great service and very friendly staff, however, plan on taking some time. I had to wait almost 2 hours to get my oil changed on a Monday around lunch time to plan on plenty of time when you go. I would recommend this place to anyone.
thank you, consider coffee or water in your waiting area.
The service was awesome but it took a while to get in. That may be because there were 5 or 6 cars ahead of me. Other then that, they were very nice and helpful!!!
I was very impressed with GT Automotive. It was the nicest mechanice shop I have been to. The guys were very nice and accommodating. I will continue to return in the future!
Excellent job! thank you
I had taken my vehicle to another repair shop only to be told they didn't know what the problem was and would charge me an additional $35.00 to find out. I took my keys back, went to GT and was immediately put at ease. They were professional, knowledgeable and very polite even though I called numerous times. And yes, within a few hours, they knew exatly what was wrong and had it fixed the same day. I strongly recommend GT Automotive.
I keep comming back.. for the past 3 years so I think your doing a great job
This is the most honest, friendly and knowledgeable mechanic shop I have ever been to! The facility was very clean and the mechanics were extremely nice and willing to explain any potential complications! Couldn't imagine going anywhere else and thats after just one visit! Very pleased!
I really appreciated the service. I was going to walk to my destination about four blocks away in the snow, but they gave me a ride to my destination in my car and told me to call when I was done and they would pick me up. They did and I was very grateful.
They diagnosed the car for free, they did the job fast and their price was the best as i called around and asked others what it would cost me. Another place said they wanted to keep the car for two or three days, these guys had me bring it in and it was done in 2 or 3 hours. I'll be coming back here for any of my car issues.
Fast, friendly, thorough, cheerful service
They got my car in quickly, showed me exactly what was wrong, and were very helpful.
always quick and honest. there service it tops.
Performed work in a professional manner.
As always.... Great service and friendly people!
I no longer own the 94 Wrangler
We appreciate the fast and efficient service. Combine that with the comfort of knowing that you're not being taken advantage of makes GT Automotive a great resource for the family vehicles.
You kept me informed about the progress on my car, and were so honest to let me know that you found a lost $20 bill that had been shoved in the console of my car. It was nice to find that $20 left in my car last night. I took my kids out to dinner on it. Thank you again for your prompt service and your complete honesty!
Very good service, quick and painless. All Employees were very courteous and quick to help and provide information. Love the discounts.
The work was done well, and completed on time.
I have been taking my cars here for the past couple of years now. I have always been treated fairly and the service has been great.
My wife reports that your team was polite, courteous and professional.
I have continued to visit GT automotive for all of my needs. The technichans are wonderful and they do not try to sell me items that are not needed! Keep up the great work.
gt always provides excellent customer service and top quality honest service. i recommend them to everyone i talk to.
This is my second time to GT Automotive and I am as impressed by this experience as I was by my first! The team is very professional, courteous, and has never tried to oversell me. I will continue to bring my vehicles here for service. Thanks guys!
Easy to work with, work was done promptly and as requested.
Service quick and efficient!
Fast, thoughtful, kind, fair, thorough.
I have serviced both my cars there that the service managers know me by name. I feel confident taking my cars back for future service and repairs. Thanks.
We trust GT for all our automotive needs. We have 4 cars and they have taken care of all of them. They are very professional at all times. Thanks GT! We trust you with our cars!
Necessary work performed quickly, and at a fair price
Prompt service, fair prices, I was treated with respect - a great experience.
Clean and peaceful atmosphere. Employees eager to assist customers. Only problem was a small smell of vehicle exhaust coming into the waiting area from opening and closing the door so often to the maintenance areas
Very prompt and professional. The actual work was faster than the front desk estimated.
they new guy was nice. willy and kyle both need a raise!
great work, great price, and great service
GT Automotive is professional, clean, honest, and competent. We bring all of our vehicles here for whatever they need.
Quick and pleasant. Always been treated with courtesy and respect.
I believe the Mgr was Jim and I am appreciative that he introduced himself to us and suggested some timely tips on my vehicle.
After my initial repair I had a couple of issues that weren't resolved. I brought my car back and was treated very fairly and my new issues were resolved. I will come back for my next repair.
This is the only place we go to for our cars anymore. They have helped us time and time again. They are honest and thorough.
every time i go in i can always count on honesty, fair prices and quick service. i love gt and recommend them to everyone i talk to.
Excellent customer service. Fixed my car and went out of their way to help me. Very trustworthy.
So far so good. Always been fair and reasonable to us.
I got in around 8:50 and was helped immediately by a technician. I went inside and read a magazine and by around 9:40 I was out of there. Courtesy coffee would have been a plus since it was very cold and icy outside, I didn't feel like I could walk to get something to drink off the premises.
always good, timely, well trained frendly staff
GT ALWAYS provides honest, reliable, reasonably priced service for our whole family.
everything was to our satisfaction.
affordable quality work,no high pressure sales,thank you
Being a female I hate having to deal with automotive issues until I found GT Automotive! I have now been going to this business for a number of years, and they have always been courteous and HONEST! They don't tell me I need things just to gain more revenue. I would recommend them to any and everyone!
I have found my new automotive home. This was my 2nd visit to the shop. (not due to anything the shop did/didn't do) I needed a rear bearing replaced and once again they did an excellent job. I am planning on coming in again for a transmission flush. They set good expectations and beat them. (Can't say that about many companies let alone mechanic shops)
Have always brought my vehicle to GT Auto. Always dealt with professional and punctual service
So much better than the dealerships it's hard to believe. They're OK to deal with and all, but their prices are beyond ridiculous. And there is no reasoning with them at all.
Very professional and always fair. We will never go anywhere else for our car needs.
I had a problem with my Bearing in my drivers side. (needed replaced) I had called around and decided to have a dealer replace it (off from 3300 South and 900 west). They lied about the warranty, repair cost, and tried to upsell a bunch of repairs that didn't need to be made. I called GT automotive. In the same time 1.5 hours it took the other guys to try and get more money out of me they repaired it and had me on my way. Fast, friendly, reliable, importantly to me they didn't try to make up a bunch of repairs to sucker me into more costs. Thank you to the staff for excellent care. I will take my vehicles there time and time again now!
Excellent service, and great work. This is the only place we will take our vehicles!
I had the new Jetta inspected, emissioned, and registered quickly, and my car was shown respect by Mike the inspector. Thanks Mike
I have taken my '91 Subaru there since I bought it and they do a fabulous and HONEST job keeping it running. I am so excited they work on domestic cars because I also have a Chevy and hate how it runs after taking it to other mechanics. They are the best!
I had been looking for a car repair place and oil change place and my neighbor told me about you. I am really happy with the quality of the service given. Thank you so much. I will be back!!
Very friendly and professional staff.
Excellent service, friendly service, efficent service.
Called and made an appointment with Shawn. Took my car in and dropped it off with Shawn. He called me a few hours later and told me exactly what was wrong and quoted me how much it would cost ot fix. When I picked up my car, the charge was even a little less than Shawn had quoted me. I used my AAA card and got an additional 10% off labor. I have been using GT Automotive since they opened. They are the nicest bunch of guys around and they seem to pride themselves on being honest and there customer service is the best that I have found in any automotive shop.
GT is professional and quick and I trust them.
The service advisor met me at the entrance to discuss my needs and I showed him and email that I had received from GT. The email listed suggested services for my vehicle and mileage. He looked at it and told me that some of the services listed were not applicable to my vehicle due to closed systems which would save me money. I told him of another service I would like performed and he told me what was involved and when my vehicle would be ready. Upon pick up I received a discount as mentioned in the email and was pleasantly surprised that the vehicle's performance was noticably improved and less noise.
Once stepping into the business to the time I left, I was treated with respect, given full explanation of all work needed and suggested, and kept informed during the process.
when someone spends 269.00 to rebuild a power steering pump, you would think they would soak up all the excess fuild on the engine block around the the pump. Also if the person at the desk is going to be a service writer they should be more knowledgable. But overall the were fast and honest. I will go back based on I know the onwer and the honesty.
I found GT Automotive in the Yellow Pages. I had never used this shop before, so I was a little hesitant having my car towed there. When I arrived at GT Automotive all my worries were set aside, I was so pleased to find a clean well presented shop. I was greeted by Sean who gave friendly service throughout my experience with GT. I have never been so pleased with service I have received from an Automotive shop in my life. GT Automotive will definitely be my first choice whenever my vehicles are in need of repair or maintenance.
They have always been great to us and our cars. They have worked on our cars numerous times and we have been pleased always. Recently worked on a 1977 VW Van for our son. Even though it is a work in progress I totally feel as though they respect us and treat us fairly.
The associates at GT have always been very helpful and willing to go the extra mile to make sure my car maintenance is taken care of in a timely and efficient manner.
Awesome company, always friendly and getting the job done quick! Explains problems until I understand and always do the job right!
After trying several chain service centers, including my dealer, I have been most satisfied with the service I receive from GT Automitive.
I found a great vehicle for sale well below blue book value. It had a salvaged title, so I wanted to make sure that I wasn't getting a lemon. I brought it to GT Automotive and their used car inspection provided me with the peace of mind I needed to feel comfortable purchasing the vehicle.
Please list my name as Chris. I'm happy with the service I get here.
Kyle was very helpful and friendly. I could tell he values my business.
I dropped of my car and they ran me back to my business. It is only a block and a half away, but I have just had a kidney removed and can't walk that far. They were supposed to bring my car back when finished. I had to call and explained that I didn't close until 6 so they would have to send someone with my car and they could walk back since it was only a block and a half. At 5 Ben showed up. I paid him and he said he could not walk back and I would have to drive him. I could not leave the store until I closed. He said he had to get back now. A customer in my store said he would run him back. I could not believe that this young man would not walk a block and a half. Anyway it was taken care of by a customer of mine. When I called and they put me on hold, I had to cover up the phone with a book because the music and message was so loud. It needs to be turned down to a level that is comfortable to listen to. We have several vehicles and you are convenient for us to use for service. I just had a poor experience this time (my second visit, my first was great) that I am not sure we will use you in the future.
GT is a great place to take your car. they are helpful and accommodating. i will bring my car back there for sure.
Great customer service, everyone is very friendly and willing to explain complex stuff in a way that we can understand.
Timing belt service and tuneup done quickly and professionally. I will return to GT for my next service needs.
Very Friendly and great service. Terrific Fish tank!!!
I am pleased with the work that you did on my Camry. You kept me informed of your findings and asked for my authorization before proceeding with the repairs.
I was very satisfied with the service I received.
Great service you can depend on. GT always backs you up.
I have been going to GT Automotive for years and have been satisfied with their service.
I called to get an opinion then a few hours later my car was fixed and driving well again.
I've been going to GT for years now, folowing my mechanic that started working there, and heave always been satisfied with the service I've recieved.
I was completely satisfied with my recent transaction at GT Automotive. Thanks so much for your help.
Conveniently located, got the work done in the time frame I needed it completed in.
Went in on a Sat. morn for an oil change. They treated me like gold as usual . Went in a few weeks ago with the check engine light on in the other car. Diagnosed the problem , turned off the light and no charge. Thanks
The most reliable, honest and reasonably priced auto service center in the Salt Lake area.
Limited Time Offer!
10% off labor (max discount $100)
GT Automotive
919 W. Baxter Dr.
South Jordan, UT 84095
Restrictions may apply. Cannot be combined with another offer. Can only be used once. Not redeemable for cash.
Offer Ends March 9, 2016
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