[SustainableTompkins] Hybrid parade: Efficiency does not equal emissions reductions

[Andy Bailey Goodell]

 Don't be fooled... While buying a Prius allows for lower tailpipe
emissions, don't assume that makes it instantly better. Do you know how much
energy goes into mining nickel for Prius batteries from Sudbury, Ontario?
And how much emissions came from the diesel used in that? And what happens
to those batteries when they don't hold a charge anymore? Focusing on gas or
emissions alone is what gets us in trouble. The best car is one that already
exists, not buying a new car (unless the one that already exists is a huge
SUV). Think of all the energy that goes into making a new vehicle, and
replacing all those specialized parts (especially electronic ones) over the
life of it. Instead of spending $20k+ on a Prius, if you bought a used Civic
and spent the extra money to upgrade the catalytic converter and filters and
drove it efficiently you could be getting the same gas mileage and maybe
slightly higher emissions, but didn't need to gather all the new material to
make a Prius. 


Andy Goodell
1894 Charlotte Creek Road
Oneonta, NY 13820
(603) 831-0356
http://geekguyandy.com

-----Original Message-----
From: sustainabletompkins-bounces at lists.mutualaid.org
[mailto:sustainabletompkins-bounces at lists.mutualaid.org] On Behalf Of
Stephen Nicholson
Sent: Wednesday, March 12, 2008 12:05 PM
To: Sustainable Tompkins County listserv
Subject: Re: [SustainableTompkins] Hybrid parade: Efficiency does not
equalemissions reductions

When I bought my 2004 Prius, my mileage doubled, compared to my Subaru
Outback.

But my emissions are much lower. The Prius is certified as a Super Ultra Low
Emission Vehicle.

Similar mpg achieved by motorcycles and scooters and careful driving does
not equal lower emissions.

Driving your lawnmower for an hour produces the same emissions as driving
your car 120 miles.

The best thing you can do for the environment ( assuming identical miles
continued to be driven), is to buy a Prius and crush your existing car so
that no one else can drive it.

Ithaca is the Prius per/capita capital of the world for good reasons!

http://www.rapidonline.com/toyota/prius.htm

The Environment

In terms of low-emissions, the Prius beats any other car on the road.
Particle matter emissions are non-existent. It has the lowest carbon dioxide
emissions of any vehicle on the market - 32% less CO2 comes out of its
exhaust than from a normal petrol-burning car. In fact over the course of a
year, the Prius produces more than a ton less CO2 than even the best
D-segment diesels. It's is also the best-performing internal combustion
production car in the world in terms of nitrous oxide and HC emissions.
Inside and out, Toyota has made extensive use of high-recyclability
materials, and huge efforts to reduce the use of any substances of concern
in the car´s construction.



On Mon, Mar 10, 2008 at 7:13 PM, Andy Bailey Goodell <goodella at hartwick.edu>
wrote:

> Definitely, the best choice for a car is one that already exists, not 
> trading in a 2007 hybrid for a 2008 hybrid. And sometimes the thinking 
> of needing something different is just our wonderful American way of 
> consumption. I was tired of getting 23 MPG in my 97 Subaru Legacy 
> Wagon, and instead of going out and buying a new/different car, I took 
> the time to learn how to drive efficiently. We have all heard how to 
> do it, but it just takes the patience to actually do it. I can now get 
> 40 miles per gallon in the same car, without ANY modifications to the 
> car, simply just changing driving technique. I also drive the shortest 
> distance route, even if it means taking more time because it saves 
> gas. My drive to see my family a few times a year takes a few more 
> hours, but uses 45% of the gas that it used to. So if you want to 
> drive a more efficient car, don't empty your pockets just yet. Learn 
> how to drive efficiently, find the shortest route, and then when your 
> car is really dead, it might be better to buy the new hybrid or 
> electric if you are still going to use a car.
>
> Andy Goodell
> 1894 Charlotte Creek Road
> Oneonta, NY 13820
> (603) 831-0356
> http://geekguyandy.com
>
>
>



--
Stephen C. Nicholson
220 Yaple Rd.
Berkshire, NY 13736
607-539-6923
scnfish at gmail.com
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