a cynic's guide to modern life
Commentary #7 5.21.03
Your Image or Your Atmosphere: Vehicle Emissions Rise Despite $30 Million Dollar Awareness Campaign
Image courtesy of adbusters.org
People who know me personally, or who are familiar with my writings will know that I like to rail against suburbanites and their lovable SUVs. I also love to expose hypocrisy whenever I'm afforded the opportunity.
You'll be hard-pressed to find anyone who is "against" the environment. You will find people who are in denial that there is any sort of problem, but there are few people who do not want to see our environment cleaned up a little. But give up their precious gas-guzzlers...? No way, not today, thank you kindly. Public transportation is for losers. More fuel efficient vehicles just aren't cool.
From 1998 to 2001, the Canadian government spent $30 million dollars trying to convince the Canadian people to drive their vehicles less and use energy more efficiently. As a result, the Canadian people saw their personal greenhouse gas emissions rise from 82 million tonnes in 1998 to 88 million tonnes in 2001. Possible inhabitation of the planet for future generations is no match for trying to show the world how deeply you can dig yourself in debt by owning one of those overpriced monstrosities.
Well, you can spend 30 million or 30 billion dollars trying to tell people what they already know and ignore, namely that car exhaust pollutes the environment, or we can put it all in terms that people can understand. So I propose that all vehicles should meet certain miles per litre requirements, or else you will be taxed in respect to how inefficient your vehicle is. Not fair, Mr. Upwardly Mobile? Up yours, it's more than fair. And just to show how fair I'll be, I further propose generous tax breaks to people who drive fuel efficient vehicles, and even better tax breaks to people who use public transportation, carpooling or (gasp!) walk or bike to wherever they need to go. Because if I had my way, SUVs and other fuel-guzzling status symbols for anyone other than people who legitimately need them would be wiped off the face of the planet, if for no other reason than the sheer arrogance of owning such a consumptive piece of machinery to run to the grocery store and drop the kids off at soccer practice.
So, the big question is what to do? If our national apathy is any indication, than we will do nothing until its too late, and then bitch like crazy when our air is no longer breathable. Where's the damn government when we need them?
Copyright © 2003 Don Porter. All rights reserved.