The Prius Debate
Whether or not even a single word of this article is true, are there really people out there that think hybrid cars are a good idea?
Tuesday, March 20, 2007
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6 Comments:
They'll be worth it when they are both cheaper to buy and cheaper to drive!
My poor sister... i told her it was stupid to buy one.. "But i'll save time in commuting because the HOV lanes are for hybrid only". Yea, but you GOT DIVORCED so that's a non issue, meanwhile you haven't paid it off and your commute is now 10minutes. Duh!
What I liked about this article was that it wasn't pro-Hummer (insert double meaning here) and anti-hippie but rather arguing that the Prius isn't the environmental savior it's portrayed to be. The article breaks it all down to a simple cost effectiveness and makes a convincing point about effects of batteries. As you said, none of this article may be true, but I certainly want to have a car that is financially and environmentally efficient since we haven't escaped gas engines yet. To flip the argument, the article doesn't examine the negative environmental effects (on the roads and surrounding drivers) of a far too large and ugly-ass vehicle like the Hummer. From an eyesore standpoint, the Hummer is really damaging. I might feel great driving one, but I can't stomach the excess. Still, I liked this article because it dares to question the accepted stereotypes.
I would argue, if I had the time and wherewithal, that this entire article is horseshit. It's riddled with fallacious assumptions and utterly devoid of logic. However, it does "[dare] to question the accepted stereotypes," which gives it currency among certain circles – nevermind whether the "stereotypes" in question happen to be factually accurate. Fuck it. Maybe siding with Rush Limbaugh on environmental issues will bring LYRC added luster for hazarding to be so daring and brave.
Kelly, I have to question (and not just because the above commenter shares my name), what fellacious assumptions? Where's the hole in the logic for you? I don't think Colin was taking the side of Rush Limbaugh either. Wanting an energy efficient car doesn't equal hatred of the Prius or love of Limbaugh. As for stereotpyes, I don't know. That probably could have been clearer. "Stereotpyes" meaning Hummer cars and Prius cars or the people that drive them?
I don't know a whole lot about cars, but I can recognize a conservative hit piece when I see one. To refute this article point by point is, frankly, pointless. Did you see Al Gore testify before Congress yesterday? There's simply no way to dissuade some people from believing that up is down and wrong is right. So, I guess I could take issue with the assumption that the average lifespan of a Hummer is 300,000 miles. I could point out that nickel mining wasn’t invented by the people who designed the Prius, or that Toyota has a recycling program that is very effective, or that the next generation Prius will use lithium-ion batteries, or that Lithium conversion kits have been available to Prius owners for a long time now. Or, perhaps I could spend some time debunking the unverifiable statistics of the "Dust to Dust" report upon which this idiotic article buttresses it's moronic claims (i.e. converting energy to costs is inheritably fallacious because the report itself doesn't reveal its methodology, besides which, most conservation technology currently costs more to produce because the infrastructure for doing so is comparatively nascent). But, like I said, there wouldn't be much point.
Most people still buy regular cars… not Hummers or hybrids. The meaningful difference between these cars is that the latter are evolving while the former are not. Sean Hannity is proud he drives an SUV because he believes that raping the planet is an appropriate human activity. People who drive hybrids generally don't hold this view, and therefore they're more likely to demand environmental accountability from manufacturers. Besides, hybrids get better gas mileage. Duh.
M'kay. I have no argument against wanting better cars in terms of effifiency and environmental impact. You make a good point about most people buying in-between Hummers and Hybrids, so maybe those are the stereotypes Colin is referring to?
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