Environmental vehicle policies

Was watching ‘This Week’ last night and got really wound up by Zac Goldsmith. He was saying how everybody should be driving Prius's.

How can a new car ever be environmentally friendly? Especially one that appears to be even more environmentally damaging than other new cars in its manufacture.

It seems the government is trying to persuade everyone to buy new cars as well with their retrospective tax.

Originally Posted by badgers_nadgers

It seems the government is trying to persuade everyone to buy new cars as well with their retrospective tax.

NOT ME, NEVER i likes my old bangers too much

Find it hard to take any kind of pontificating
from some pampered rich bloke.

The Toyota Pious and it's ilk use a dead-end piece
of technology that will have a disastrous long term
environmental impact.

It's amazing how many people believe that electric (or hybrid) cars are zero-emission vehicles. I've even seen them described as such in the media. Where the heck do they think the electricity to recharge them comes from?

Of course, all they do is transfer the source of the pollution from the car's tailpipe to the power station chimney. And given that power stations are usually located in poorer areas, all these smug middle-class Toyota Pious drivers are really just saying "Screw you, peasants - you can breathe all our fumes".

I thought the Prius was one of the most environmentally damaging cars in production? only the tailpipe emmisions are good (and MPG mediocore).

Common sence tells me that buying 2nd hand is the most environmentally friendly way to buy a car.

Originally Posted by ransoman

I thought the Prius was one of the most environmentally damaging cars in production?

Don't know how substantiated it is, but this article would suggest so.

The only cool person to ever drive a Pious was Brian from Family Guy.

I still don't understand how these so-called environmental vehicle policies are supposed to tackle the pollution from non-road vehicles (light aircraft / boats / sports vehicles / plant machinery etc...)

Pious is a case of advertising over fact. Production and recycling of these things causes huge environmental damage.

It's an argurment I've had many times over the last few years with some environmentally friendly relatives; they don't seem to realise that the enery used to drive 50,000 miles is the same as that used to make a car