Come on, Prius actually cleaning the air?

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(200Volts @ Apr 18 2006, 02:50 PM) [snapback]241716[/snapback]</div>

There is no question as to whether or not the engine in the Prius pollutes...of course it does. However, since the engine is turned off when the car is under electric power as well as at stoplights (except when recharging the battery), and due to the catalytic converter setup, the Prius pollutes less. Hence, one could say that it is 'cleaner', or more friendly to the environment than other cars, with the possible exception of full electric cars.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Bob Allen @ Apr 17 2006, 03:00 PM) [snapback]241008[/snapback]</div>

The Ionic Breeze car, I love it. Politicians are funny aren't they? :lol:

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(finally_got_one @ Apr 18 2006, 06:47 PM) [snapback]241529[/snapback]</div>

Ah, you got me started now... :angry:
Of course, everything we do poses a threat to the environment, even just the fact that we live. Some things we really can't avoid. We all need houses or appartments to live in. But a car is amonst the worst inventions ever made in this respect. Do we really need >1000kg of material just to transport a single person over an average distance of 9km? And do we really need to replace those things on average every 5 years? In the vast majority of the cases, one can think of much better alternatives. Unfortunately, our civilisation is totally trapped into the car model.

And a Prius is not environment-friendly. Less unfriendly than most other cars indeed, but every Prius built and used is a still burden on the environment. Just think of the process of assembling it, all the natural resources used, all the energy used, all the plastics, ... Then think of the fact that you waiste a non-replaceable natural resource (fossile fuel) by using it. Then think of the lots of CO2 it still emits... And then think of the process of disposing it.

It's good that the market offers a decent effort to improve things, such as the Prius, but this is still a minor step down a very long way. If all Chinese and Indian families have on average 1.5 car or so like Europeans and North-Americans have right now, it won't really make a difference if these cars are all Priusses. We will have a big stinking worldwide problem. And why wouldn't they have the right to have those cars if we have them?

Drive your prius just like I'm doing. It gives a message to a sucking industry sector. The more people that buy it, the clearer the message. But don't think it really solves anything right now. In the end, more radical solutions will be needed.

OK, my rant is over

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(vtie @ Apr 19 2006, 12:57 AM) [snapback]241984[/snapback]</div>

I agree with everything in your post except the word "if." I'd have used the word "when.":

When all Chinese and Indian families have on average 1.5 car or so [... W]e will have a big stinking worldwide problem.

Unless, of course, the present energy system collapses long before the Chinese and Indians have that many cars. Perhaps the world won't be able to support more than one car per ten Chinese families.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Bob Allen @ Apr 17 2006, 02:00 PM) [snapback]241008[/snapback]</div>

It's like those old oatmeal commercials, when they'd say that eating oatmeal reduces your chances of heart disease...

...that is, compared to three sausage McMuffins with egg.

I think the idea here is that if you have to drive, driving a Prius will "clean" the air by not making it as dirty as normal cars (even the newer ones) do in the same circumstances.

Actually, the Prius doesn't make the mess in the first place...which, actually is LOTS better than having to clean it up afterwards...isn't it?

That's my opinion, anyway.

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(vtie @ Apr 19 2006, 02:57 AM) [snapback]241984[/snapback]</div>

Remember, please, that a journey of a thousand miles begins with a single footstep. And that dreams, when they're young, are especially fragile.