The Case for Hybrids

. I recently found myself the owner of a second-hand Hybrid, courtesy of my friend Maddy. From having been interested in high-efficiency vehicles in an academic way, I was suddenly right in the middle of the ultra-low-emissions bandwagon. As I see it --and I don't mean to overwhelm my younger readers with unnecessary feelings of the futility of things: the tons of pollution emitted by vehicles causes damage that is pretty much irreversible. So the sooner people move to high-efficiency vehicles, the better for all of us. The whole world suffers from the disdain of the average American for environmental action, because the gases and fumes obviously do not remain over the American mainland. But the US prides itself in being the biggest consumer nation on the planet; consequently the ill-health of the planet affects the US more than it does most other countries (with some minor exceptions). Trucks and other heavy transport must be converted to high-efficiency technology. A truck probably emits as much pollution as fifteen cars, but of course it's doing the work of thirty. Even so, it's mind-boggling that most people are quick to dismiss plans to slap controls on Truck emissions. Everybody must get seriously behind public transportation. This has to be done in stages, because the use of public transportation is so inconvenient for the most part. If we were to use public transport more frequently, the costs would go down, which would push matters in the direction in which we would like them to go. And, of course, buses must be made both more efficient, and less polluting. The environmental cost of air travel has to be studied and made intelligible to all. I hear conflicting reports of the impact of taking a plane versus driving your car. What is the cost per person per mile of air travel, taking an average over flights that are full and flights that are mostly empty? Inquiring minds would like to know. Even with conventional personal transportation --i.e. ordinary cars, it is possible to both increase your mileage and decrease your pollution. I've been doing this for years. The trick is to minimize the amount of braking you do, in particular sudden braking. Keep a careful eye all around you, and if you can do so without severely inconveniencing the drivers in your vicinity, coast to stops; slow down if you see a traffic light turning red for you; accelerate slowly. Empty your car of unnecessary contents, e.g. heavy junk in the trunk, unused child safety seats, rarely-used hitching equipment. In vans, you might consider taking out extra seats at the back unless they're being used regularly. With tire pressure at the higher end of the allowed range, mileage improves. If your pressure is low, the rubber of your tire is constantly being flexed, that is flattened and straightened out, and this causes it to heat up even faster than just the friction. So increasing tire pressure --though you must stay within the prescribed limits-- actually lengthens the life of the tires. (Note: Hybrid tires are generally kept at higher pressures.) I know fellows who get 45 miles per gallon on the highway in a conventional car, which is admirable. Automatic transmissions may actually improve mileage for a driver with good acceleration habits. The most efficient hybrids today are automatics. I would really like to know why diesel engines pollute so much, and why we should stand for it. And there should be a law against permitting diesel trucks to idle while parked in Rest Areas on interstate highways. There's something weird about how the Trucking Lobby prevents obvious legislation. Looking for alternate fuels is a red herring. Discovery of other things we can burn than gasoline will not reduce the pollution; it simply enables us to keep polluting for less money, people. If you can put smog in your gas tank, I'll consider that, but until we can, just focus on using less oil and gasoline. Finally, it is time to nudge young folks away from considering speed as the only thrill around. It shows a lack of imagination. Arch