Before you guys get too excited, I am not one of "those" people. I rarely hug trees. I don't use organic, grass fed soap, or culture my own weird yogurt soda in the fridge. I don't even burn incense.
I'm more into classic cars because of the styling, the feel, the sound, and all the incredible engineering that goes into these rolling sculptures of ours. I love the rumble of an old V8, and the smell of tire smoke! I'd sooner eat quiche and swing a clump of burning sage around my house than drive a Prius, I think, but it'd be a close call.
Still - something just occurred to me tonight. I was remembering a time when some college kids in Davis CA were walking down the sidewalk next to my '67 Cougar as I sat at a stoplight. Keep in mind, my car is fuel injected, and making a hell of a lot less smog than it would have originally. It didn't even burn oil! But these weirdos started 'coughing' and 'choking' and looking me right in the eye, trying to convey the message that my 'old car' was killing them. At the time, it just made me mad.
But tonight - I had a thought.
How many years on average does a person keep a new car, here in the US? How much oil does it take to build a new car? How much steel? What amount of 'carbon' does it 'footprint' to make all of that happen, and how many new cars would have to have been built for me if I'd bought 50 years worth since my car was made?
Sure, my car gets about 21 MPG, and I drive it a lot (or did! I will again when she's back on the road). But even if the 'newer' cars get a bit better mileage, doesn't that mean that I saved resources, and was 'ecologically friendly' by not putting all those other cars in the dump, or the salvage yard?
By my reckoning, my old Cougar is probably one of the 'greenest' vehicles on the planet, if you factor all that stuff in. Is there anyone in these forums that knows some of the facts, so I can put numbers to my imaginary equation, and prove me right or wrong here?
I want to know just how much of a 'hippie' I really am. :wink:
I'm more into classic cars because of the styling, the feel, the sound, and all the incredible engineering that goes into these rolling sculptures of ours. I love the rumble of an old V8, and the smell of tire smoke! I'd sooner eat quiche and swing a clump of burning sage around my house than drive a Prius, I think, but it'd be a close call.
Still - something just occurred to me tonight. I was remembering a time when some college kids in Davis CA were walking down the sidewalk next to my '67 Cougar as I sat at a stoplight. Keep in mind, my car is fuel injected, and making a hell of a lot less smog than it would have originally. It didn't even burn oil! But these weirdos started 'coughing' and 'choking' and looking me right in the eye, trying to convey the message that my 'old car' was killing them. At the time, it just made me mad.
But tonight - I had a thought.
How many years on average does a person keep a new car, here in the US? How much oil does it take to build a new car? How much steel? What amount of 'carbon' does it 'footprint' to make all of that happen, and how many new cars would have to have been built for me if I'd bought 50 years worth since my car was made?
Sure, my car gets about 21 MPG, and I drive it a lot (or did! I will again when she's back on the road). But even if the 'newer' cars get a bit better mileage, doesn't that mean that I saved resources, and was 'ecologically friendly' by not putting all those other cars in the dump, or the salvage yard?
By my reckoning, my old Cougar is probably one of the 'greenest' vehicles on the planet, if you factor all that stuff in. Is there anyone in these forums that knows some of the facts, so I can put numbers to my imaginary equation, and prove me right or wrong here?
I want to know just how much of a 'hippie' I really am. :wink: