That is one of the first things I try to teach new ECOS club members on my campus (Environmentally Concerned Organization of Students). While I need to practice what I preach at times, the general idea is to empower people and make them feel good when they make a positive change, this will guide them to make positive change. Ridicule or pressure rarely puts anyone in the mood to adapt to your opinion. Then there are those who will not change and jump at the chance to ridicule, berate and belittle those who are making positive changes. Those people are not worth wasting your time with. Focus your energy on those who are willing to listen as they make up a much larger pecentage of the follower/leader group pool.
Tweev, it isn't all or nothing. Any step taken to have less of an impact on the environment is a step in the right direction. If a 8 yard pass in football doesn't get a first down, is it a bad play? As for the comparison of a Prius to a Yaris, why did you pick that? The Yaris is much smaller. I prefer the cargo capacity of the Prius.
Very true, but I don't think many of PC members that actually drive to work put themselves on a pedestal because they drive a Prius? I have not seen that type of attitude here, I am seeing more people just so darn happy they are saving gas money :high5:
The majority of Americans are in denial. They'd better start getting used to the idea that we will probably never have cheap transportation again (and that it's still cheap). The Prius is such a small step in the right direction that it's almost negligible. Sorry if this statement isn't going to empower or encourage everyone.
In denial? Most communities lack adequate public transportation. Where I live, I'm only 5 miles away from a grocery store. I suppose I phyically could walk there and back, carrying my groceries, but at some point you've got to be realistic about how much time you can waste accomplishing simple tasks. What about folks who live 20 miles away from their nearest megamart and who don't have buses to cart them around? If people all lived close to where they work, you'd pay $3000 per month for a one-bedroom apartment near large industrial areas. Chances are that it's not possible to raise children without a car. Riding a bicycle to work is great for many reasons, but how do you take your 8 year old son to see the doctor?
Right, I think the OP's sterotype of a Prius owner is inaccurate. I bought it because it was the best value for the money, when looking at everything including luxury, features, etc. I don't feel like I've done anything for the environment in purchasing it.
Nah, I'm on a pedestal because I'm a vegan that drives a Prius. However, I slipped a bit, when I lost my carpool buddy (he got different employment). Carpooling in a Prius was the ultimate base for the pedestal. Oh, and I recycle. A lot. Buy organics from local farmer's market. Buy groceries from a food co-op. Oh, and I'm a redhead. And a Leo. So the pedestal is my natural environment. I'm also a geek-ess... What's your excuse?
In terms of air pollution you HAVE done something beneficial compared to driving a significantly less efficient vehicle. This applies to humans and the rest of the natural environment (including the economy). Air pollution is a very important subject and you have done something that reduces your negative impact. Lets all support smart ecological city planning which includes development and transportation and we can start to seriously reduce those negative impacts.
These people better figure something out. Eventually they'll be forced to. They're in denial because they think they can keep living like this indefinitely. Sorry for getting so far off topic.
A lab mate of mine has one of these: Xtracycle Hitchless Bicycle Trailers and Sport Utility Bicycles You should see the amount of groceries (and beer kits!) he can carry with the thing. Amazing. I chose a yaris and fit by looking at the EPA comparison. For cargo space and passenger room I thought they were quite comparable to the Prius. Those are what I was comparing for my car purchase. Anyway, I think I may go Matrix. Big, a bit heavy on the gas but I got quoted a Automatic base model for $15995+tx compared to the Package 2 prius for 20995+tx (this is back in Feb). I think as for cost savings it'll take quite a few years for the price difference to be made up (seeing that I don't drive much anyway) from the Matrix to Prius. I agree with F8L that you need to encourage pro-environment behaviour; however, I think you also need to keep it reasonable. For instance, you won't see me going up to a stranger and thanking them for recycling their pop can. I kind of think of buying a Prius to be in the same category in the grand scheme of things.
I think it's amusing that you compare the Prius to a Fit and Yaris, but then describe the Matrix as "big". To me, the Prius and Matrix are almost exactly the same size.
Here is a chart from Edmunds comparing the interior dimensions: InteriorPriusCivicFitYarisMatrixFront Headroom39.1 in.39.4 in.40.6 in.39.4 in.40.6 in.Rear Headroom37.3 in.37.4 in.38.6 in.37.9 in.39.8 in.Front Shoulder Room55 in.53.6 in.52.8 in.51.4 in.53.2 in.Rear Shoulder Room52.9 in.52.3 in.50.6 in.50.4 in.52.6 in.Front Hip Room51 in.51.9 in.51.2 in.50 in.51.7 in.Rear Hip Room51.6 in.51 in.51 in.46.7 in.47.8 in.Front Leg Room41.9 in.42.2 in.41.9 in.40.3 in.41.8 in.Rear Leg Room38.6 in.34.6 in.33.7 in.33.8 in.36.3 in.Maximum Luggage Capacity14.4 cu. ft.10.4 cu. ft.21.3 cu. ft.9.3 cu. ft.21.8 cu. ft.Maximum Seating55555 Oops, that didn't format right. Sorry about that. Here is a link to the comparison: Comparator - Specifications Other than headroom, Prius has more interior room than the others. I also think the maximum luggage capacity isn't right because that figure can't include room with the rear seats down (which they apparently did for the other hatchbacks, Fit and Matrix).
I am all for smart city planning, but you also have to deal with how they were built from the past. It wasn't the car that took over the nation, it was rail. Along every camp a town would pop up and most eventually most died off or grew. granted the auto has replaced the horse, but you have to move on. Granted most rual communities are going extinct, But some of our smaller towns and cities do serve a purpose. A lot in the midwest act as collection points for the food, labor for the farms - ranches etc. You do want to eat don't you? You aren't going to do it on your terrace. What has taken over is a sense of time is money - money is time and opportunity cost. I want it all, I want it now!
I kinda like the term 'Environmental Hero'. We need more childless vegans willing to populate our inner cities and use public transportation. I salute you all.
Toyota will be building the Prius in America. That'll create a lot of jobs. Good jobs. It'll also increase the number of hybrid cars available to US drivers, thus further reduce emissions and our nation's dependency on foreign oil. Maybe I'm a dimwit, but hard as I try I can't see anything wrong with that. I don't own an iPhone or iPod. I still listen to old LPs on my turntable. I bring my own lunch to work. I carpool in my Prius. In other words, I'm just a geeky old fart.
I don't see where anyone is deriding rural communities, especially those that focus on ranching and/or agriculture. What people are against is urban sprawl for the sake of cheap subdivision housing and all of the associated development that follows (Bed Bath & Beyond, Best Buy, Starbucks etc.) Those types of development should be curbed and we should be backfilling our degraded urban environments with a mixure of affordable LEED certified housing pojects, businesses, and upscale housing options. Increase city density above 35 people per hectare and you make mass transport a highly viable option as well as reduce sprawl, reduce pollution, reduce obesity related disease, increase community cooperation (in some cases), increase city greening projects, leave more land free for natural functions and agricultural/ranching opportunities, reduce climatic disturbances, etc. etc. etc.... Thankfully many cities around the world are doing just this and reaping the benfits.
Also, pricing the Matrix with options that come standard on the Prius (side impact airbags, power package, ABS, cruise control, intermitent rear wiper) gets it up to about $19,000 MSRP. That is where you should be comparing from.
