Sunday 12 June 2011

Biofuels and Hybrid Cars Part Deux


It is better for the environment to drive your 20 mpg old beater until it breaks down than buy a hybrid car.  While this paradox seems utterly illogical, we always seem to forget the cost of producing a car.  The amount of carbon dioxide released by mining and transporting the building materials, running the factories and transporting the cars outweighs the individual CO2 emissions greatly.  We all want to do what’s best for the environment, but it’s not just the thought that counts, it comes down to statistics, numbers and projections.  Don’t get me wrong, hybrid technology is great, but only once all old cars have broken down and been rendered immobile by time and wear. 

On the same note, in my area there is a movement to sell new, stainless steel, eco-friendly water bottles.  Yeah, great idea, metal water bottles will replace those bad plastic ones we get from a vending machine and we won’t have to deal with them anymore.  It is a good idea until you realize that everyone has a reusable water bottle lying around at home.  Look under my sink, my family has at least 15 metal and plastic water bottles.  It’s ironic that while these movements preach sustainability, some virgin forest somewhere is being strip-mined for iron and the iron is shipped to a factory so that we can sell water bottles.  Another bad idea, or perhaps I am just misinformed, but even if the metal for the bottles came from recycled pop cans, we still have a gazillion bottles at home.  A real initiative would be to ask for each family to donate their unused water bottles, wash them thoroughly and sell those.  After all, reuse comes before recycle. 

I’m not trying to shoot down these people; I participate in a recycling movement in my area, but something about the fallacy of what is going on just rubs me the wrong way.  I don’t want to grow up to become some crotchety old man complaining about the youth of today, but I can’t ignore the obvious paradoxes that stare me straight in the face. 

23 comments:

  1. Let's not forget the batteries and the heavy metals they contain... what's gonna happen in 10-15 years when these cars become clunkers?

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  2. Some sort of program to put your old plastic/metal bottles back into the system isn't a terrible idea. Not to mention it would clear up clutter at home. Way better than constantly making new ones because you left yours at home.

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  3. crazy info man crazy well good blog bro +followed

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  4. I feel like the way the green movement is going right now is ok, but that it needs a bit of a revamp for it to have a huge effect.

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  5. Have you ever heard of plastic bottles degrading after a while? I was talking to a friend the other day and they said not to reuse plastic for that reason, any thoughts?

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  6. I'm semi-green but I will never buy a hybrid.

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  7. Interesting.
    I can't afford a hybrid.
    I have a 2001 Bonneville!
    Too sick.
    Followed, brother!

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  8. I seriously agree with the water bottles thing. They are pushing those at my college campus. What's ridiculous is that I see a lot of people buy them, then they just forget them the next day and buy another bottle of water. Good usage there...

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  9. My next vehicle will be a hybrid. Gas is too expensive.

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  10. It's all a scheme to make money dude, sad but true. I however, use my 3 bottles every day at college, not for water mostly, but for tea I make myself, screw buying tea or bottles of water....My school though, I must say is full of people who do much the same, there are obviously the jackasses who insist on buying the bottled water and plastic bottles of nasty tea or unhealthy soda, but the majority are not.

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  11. I found it quite cool how your blog is called a pool and there was a pool ad

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  12. The intent is a good one... but the methods are downright retarded at times, I can certainly empathize with you there.

    Certainly just been using a water bottle myself, or better yet a cup, and never saw the appeal of buying bottled water in the first place.

    But hey, to each his own. Nice bit of opinion, there.

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  13. It's all about common sense... some of the stuff people try and push is just obviously over doing it. I try not to waste, I recycle, but when someone tries to get my to buy something that they made for materials that most people already have... come on.

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  14. always important to go green, like myself save money on gas by not driving everywhere.

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  15. good info thanks for sharing.

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  16. My brother drives a hybrid..

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  17. interesting point there
    keep up the work

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  18. Eh when are they gonna make the cars that can use our own pee for fuel?

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  19. Really interesting. Thanks for opening my eyes!

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  20. I didn't know about the water bottle thing. Is it only in your area? If it catches on, it'll be another annoying thing they're going to shove down our throats.

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  21. as long as they produce co2 (even indirectly - maintenance, being built) they're not as green as they want us to think they are. hybrids...

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  22. "I don’t want to grow up to become some crotchety old man complaining about the youth of today, but I can’t ignore the obvious paradoxes that stare me straight in the face." You speak the truth, man. Following.

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