....new car for no good reason. Consumerism is ingrained in our psyche whereas sustainability is a new mind shift that says buy only what you need. I catch a lot of flack for driving a Chevy Tahoe, but it is paid for, loaded with options, and in great condition. I even researched the environmental footprint of buying a Ford Escape Hybrid SUV and quickly concluded even at 12 mpg it was greener to keep the Tahoe in service.Still, like that little guy in the mirror, that voice of consumerism nags at me. "You know you want it," it says. "Isn't the Lexus lovely?" If I bought a new car every 5 years that is 12 cars in a lifetime. Many people buy a car every 2 or 3 years; that's 24 brand new vehicles to satisfy their craving. Think of the resources it takes to construct 24 cars! Then there are those people who own only 3 or 4 cars in a lifetime.
I feel the same way. Think of all the media advertisements we are bombarded with each day about buying new cars. Then, like you said, we have this aching desire to just want a shiny new car.
ReplyDeleteI find myself thinking just that frequently these days. It would also me nice to have a smaller more environmentally friendly car.
I read somewhere that hybrid cars like the Prius actually use more carbon in their complicated and new-tech production than they save with high mileage. I didn't know about the coltan smuggling in the DRC, that's terrible.
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