Dump the Prius!

Now it’s fair to say that we don’t actually source and finance the Toyota Prius in huge numbers, but surprisingly we do have one or two clients who “Drive a Prius”! Why the quotation marks? Well, it would seem that the Prius has been bought just so that statement can be made. No mention of course of the Cayenne Turbo or the Arnage T sat in the garage, but for some strange reason being able to say “I drive a Prius” imbues the owner with ‘Green’ credentials.

I suppose actions like these are symptomatic of the whole Global Warming debate that fills our media. People feel pressured in to making statements like this to ‘Save the Planet’. But honestly - it’s all gobbledygook!

Let’s take a look at the two parts of this particular issue. First: Global Warming. Now I have to admit that this is something I have a real bee in my bonnet about (not a good thing when driving is part of your everyday life!). Doesn’t anybody look at the facts anymore? We are being told all the time that we are responsible for 20% of the harmful greenhouse gasses in the atmosphere, and our wasteful, thoughtless lives are ruining the planet. Rubbish! The fact is that water vapour alone accounts for 96% of all greenhouse gasses, but that is conveniently ignored by the lobbyists. Why? Because a statement that we are responsible for ‘nearly 0.5% of all greenhouse gasses’ will have no impact. Why exclude water vapour you ask them? Because it’s naturally occurring, they say. Doh! What difference does that make? None! The other great myth is that CO2 is causing global warming when in fact global warming is causing the rise in CO2. The green faction seem to have got their chicken and egg the wrong way round! Not only that, but climate change is a natural phenomenon that has been going on since the planet began. Global warming is just the latest bandwagon, and the only joy it has brought is to professional protesters and politicians. It’s become the de facto way to justify any punitive tax in the name of ‘Saving the Planet’. I could run on and on for hours on this subject because it drives me crazy, but I’ll come back to it another time!

The second great myth is the Prius being environmentally friendly. More drivel! The simple fact is that once you factor in the impact of build cost and eventual disposal, you’d be more green friendly driving a Rolls Royce Phantom! Again, take a look at the facts. The Prius batteries are made from nickel. The nickel is smelted in Ontario, Canada. Such is the environmental impact of this smelting that acid rain now falls around the plant, destroying all vegetation for miles, to the point that NASA use the area for testing moon buggies! The smelted metal is then shipped to South Wales where it is refined. From there it goes to China to produce a chemically created foam to make the batteries more reactive, and from there it goes to Japan to make the batteries. Phew! But it doesn’t end there. The batteries only have a life of 100,000 miles, when they need to be replaced and safely disposed of. But will they be, or will they be dumped in scrap yards to leak toxic waste in to the ground? Who knows. But when you add it all together, and factor in that a Prius is not even as economical to run as a decent diesel-engined car, you see where the gobbledygook is?

Innovation Cars’ top Green Tip: “Dump the Prius - Buy a Rolls Royce Phantom - Save the Planet”!