How Green Is Your Machine?
Canvas shopping bags and recycling centers. Wind turbine farms dominating ridgelines across America. Clothing made from recycled plastic bottles. Compact fluorescent light bulbs and rechargeable batteries. Energy Star appliances and recycled toilet paper. Al Gore winning a Nobel Prize for his work on raising the awareness about global warning. Bamboo “hardwood” floors. Refurbished appliances, thrift store clothing, used DVDs and CDs, and swap meets. Websites dedicated to green living, sustainable lifestyles, and organic foods. Truly, the green movement has become the dominant story of the first decade of this century. One cannot turn on the television without seeing commercials touting the “green” attributes of a product or promoting an anti-consumerism lifestyle while still encouraging consumerism. Beyond peradventure, the most dominant aspect of the green movement has been the large scale introduction of hybrid vehicles and their unquestioned acceptance by the media and mainstream society as a de facto symbol of the green movement. After all, what better poster child for the green movement than the second most valuable personal possession one can have? But, what if these symbols of green living are not the earth friendly saviors the media hype has portrayed them to be? Is it possible that popular hybrids such as the Toyota Prius and Honda Civic Hybrid are not the best choices for either the environment or the consumer pocketbook? Are there better choices that have been overlooked by the media?
By now, most people have been in at least one friendly discussion with someone over the influx of hybrid cars into the U.S. market and the truth is that hybrid cars are becoming increasingly popular and politically correct. Undeniably, hybrid owners are enjoying some perks that traditional car owners can only dream about. For example, hybrid cars are permitted in the HOV lanes in both Arizona and California during rush hours even if...