There is No Environmental Free Lunch
I find myself talking about the environment with people more often these days. The destruction of our environment is probably going to be the main issue over the next decades so it is good that people have opinions on these things. Opinions are important, because apathy is rarely a positive force, while conflict at least breeds action.
I confess that I’m not an expert on environmental issues, but I’m an analytical guy and I’m not averse to doing a bit of research. I’m also a car guy so that is going to the focus of this blog.
London dwellers and Irish people will be familiar with the breaks that government’s give to hybrid vehicles such as the Toyota Prius. In London, giant Lexus are exempt from the congestion charge if they sport the hybrid badge on their rear. In Ireland, Hybrids benefit from tax breaks for their supposed green credentials. In Ireland our Minister for the Environment has decided that he wants car tax based on CO2 emissions and wants our vehicle fleet replaced by less polluting vehicles, with Hybrids being extolled for their supposed green credentials.
All these initatives miss the point of pollution and show quite some ignorance regarding vehicle production. The overall environmental impact of a hybrid car is greater than a similar diesel car. This is because the complexity of manufacturer and the replacement of battery packs emits more Carbon Dioxide than the fuel savings garnered from the electric motor.
If all the cars in Ireland are hybrids will that make the environment better? No it won’t. We’d lower our annual CO2 emmissions in Ireland, but whats the point? Like it or not we are a planet and we’re in it together. What we save in Ireland will be spent by Japan or wherever the vehicles are made. Thinking locally just doesn’t cut it.
Even though I’m an avid car guy, I do think people change their vehicles too often. I often wonder at what point should we change cars? Car technology advances relatively slowly so the question is: How long should we hold a car for? A new car has to replace the old one so will the better fuel efficiency make up for the manufacturing costs over 1, 2, 5 or 20 years? Until these questions are answered any initiatives to get people to change cars for environmental reasons are short sighted and poorly judged. Also recommending hybrids over less complex but more efficient diesel engines, is incompetent.
Good luck to those in Bali. We need action for sure, but we need practical research. The public and most certainly our government’s need practical measures to reduce global emissions. For all the diplomats on expense accounts out there: please remember there really is no free lunch.
Posted 12.12.07
February 20th, 2008 at 12:42 pm
Couldn’t agree more… Have been argueing this point for ages (banging my head against a wall)..
Batteries are among the most dangerous and envoirnmentally damaging products on the market.
The envoirnmental impact of car manufacture is massive, people need to change their attitude towards having a shiny new car in their driveway.. Longevity is the key. Less made and less to dispose of…