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'The vehicles are larger and heavier than regular cars and use on average 20% more fuel. The increased number of SUVs in 2022 were responsible for a third of the increase in global oil demand.
Purchases of SUVs have soared in recent years, rising from 20% of new cars in 2012 to 46% of all cars last year, the IEA reports.'
Yes, governments have to drive and enforce real change if our kids are to have any hope of a decent life, but WE ARE RESPONSIBLE TOO with our purchasing habits and our ego-driven, self-deluding and selfish bullsh!t lifestyles.
I don't own or ever intend on owning one, however I will say that I have elderly relatives that recently purchased one because these were the only vehicles at their price range that were practical for them to get in and out of. I make you completely right, but consumers with specific requirements aren't being given other options and public transport has essentially collapsed as a viable option at present. The very real issue of lemmings is just being compounded by a range of cars with very little difference in accessibility in practical terms.
“ with our purchasing habits and our ego-driven, self-deluding and selfish bullsh!t lifestyles”
I think it’s unfair to put this solely on the consumer. If you’ve followed the car industry over the post pandemic period they’ve been using the chip shortage to restrict production (or at least favour) to the most profitable vehicles…SUVs largely (much longer waiting times for deliveries of smaller cheaper models). Thus sales figures will be skewed by this in favour of larger vehicles.
Not only that they are actively ceasing production of smaller cars (with less margin) such as the Fiesta and Focus in favour of larger models such as the Puma and Kuga - thus the consumer is left with less choice.
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If anything illustrates what a bunch of lemmings we are, it's this. on 09:05 - Mar 1 with 1595 views
But just think of the embarrassment a parent where I live in the prosperous south east would feel if they turned up at school to drop off little Johnie in anything other than a Land Rover or the like.
[Post edited 1 Mar 2023 9:09]
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If anything illustrates what a bunch of lemmings we are, it's this. on 09:11 - Mar 1 with 1579 views
Millions of us living out in the sticks (where in many places there is zero public transport, and what little there is is being diminished all the time) - do actually need them of course.
If anything illustrates what a bunch of lemmings we are, it's this. on 09:05 - Mar 1 by DJR
But just think of the embarrassment a parent where I live in the prosperous south east would feel if they turned up at school to drop off little Johnie in anything other than a Land Rover or the like.
If anything illustrates what a bunch of lemmings we are, it's this. on 09:11 - Mar 1 by Ryorry
Millions of us living out in the sticks (where in many places there is zero public transport, and what little there is is being diminished all the time) - do actually need them of course.
No they don't.
"They break our legs and tell us to be grateful when they offer us crutches."
If anything illustrates what a bunch of lemmings we are, it's this. on 09:16 - Mar 1 by homer_123
Before we be-little those with SUVs.
I'll just mention that air travel has sky rocketed since Covid....even though the evidence was patently clear how damaging to the environment it was.
People seem very happy to go abroad for their hols.
I suspect there are many who don't own an SUV but happily jump on a plane for their hols.
The reality is, 'clean' travel isn't available, for anyone - but we can change our habits to mitigate...but we 'all' pretty much choose not to.
Interestingly, the response of a friend of mine, who travels abroad on holiday a lot now he has retired, to another friend who tries to be green and limits air travel to one flight a year, is to say that he only brought one child into the world, whereas his friend brought in three.
No one is perfect in all this, not even George Monbiot with his three wood-burning stoves, given that even a modern, approved, “eco-friendly” wood burner produces 750 times as many fine particulates as a heavy goods vehicle.
[Post edited 1 Mar 2023 9:33]
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If anything illustrates what a bunch of lemmings we are, it's this. on 09:25 - Mar 1 with 1526 views
If anything illustrates what a bunch of lemmings we are, it's this. on 08:58 - Mar 1 by SuperKieranMcKenna
“ with our purchasing habits and our ego-driven, self-deluding and selfish bullsh!t lifestyles”
I think it’s unfair to put this solely on the consumer. If you’ve followed the car industry over the post pandemic period they’ve been using the chip shortage to restrict production (or at least favour) to the most profitable vehicles…SUVs largely (much longer waiting times for deliveries of smaller cheaper models). Thus sales figures will be skewed by this in favour of larger vehicles.
Not only that they are actively ceasing production of smaller cars (with less margin) such as the Fiesta and Focus in favour of larger models such as the Puma and Kuga - thus the consumer is left with less choice.
Not one mention of manufacturer production driving this in the article - poor journalism in my opinion.
Furthermore what are they even classing as an SUV, a 1.3 Quasqui is still going to be a less polluting than a 2.0l hatchback…
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If anything illustrates what a bunch of lemmings we are, it's this. on 09:31 - Mar 1 with 1432 views
If anything illustrates what a bunch of lemmings we are, it's this. on 09:11 - Mar 1 by Ryorry
Millions of us living out in the sticks (where in many places there is zero public transport, and what little there is is being diminished all the time) - do actually need them of course.
If anything illustrates what a bunch of lemmings we are, it's this. on 09:24 - Mar 1 by DJR
Interestingly, the response of a friend of mine, who travels abroad on holiday a lot now he has retired, to another friend who tries to be green and limits air travel to one flight a year, is to say that he only brought one child into the world, whereas his friend brought in three.
No one is perfect in all this, not even George Monbiot with his three wood-burning stoves, given that even a modern, approved, “eco-friendly” wood burner produces 750 times as many fine particulates as a heavy goods vehicle.
[Post edited 1 Mar 2023 9:33]
That's my point DJR - we are all as bad as each other in this, we are 'all' culpable.
Ade Akinbiyi couldn't hit a cows arse with a banjo...
If anything illustrates what a bunch of lemmings we are, it's this. on 09:24 - Mar 1 by DJR
Interestingly, the response of a friend of mine, who travels abroad on holiday a lot now he has retired, to another friend who tries to be green and limits air travel to one flight a year, is to say that he only brought one child into the world, whereas his friend brought in three.
No one is perfect in all this, not even George Monbiot with his three wood-burning stoves, given that even a modern, approved, “eco-friendly” wood burner produces 750 times as many fine particulates as a heavy goods vehicle.
[Post edited 1 Mar 2023 9:33]
Finger-pointing one way or another over these things is not really helpful. What we really need is a big push to deal with the most severe issues - power generation, industrial- and plastics pollution.
Some of that requires investment in existing technologies - which needs the application of shareholder/consumer/taxpayer/voter pressure - but also the development and introduction of new ones.
In addition, changes of basic habits (at government and business levels, as well as personal). Don't throw so much stuff away. Reduce packaging. Recycle where possible and make it easy. Don't buy so much stuff produced in a polluting or unsustainable fashion and trasported long distances.
If anything illustrates what a bunch of lemmings we are, it's this. on 09:41 - Mar 1 by homer_123
It's not personal Ryorry - the point I was trying to make is that we are all as bad as each other.
Those that use a small car, might still be happy jumping on a plane, for example.
I did get that from yourself, thanks. Some people seem happy to rush to judgment without knowing circumstances though. My annual mileage for the past three years has been less than 500.
If anything illustrates what a bunch of lemmings we are, it's this. on 09:47 - Mar 1 by Guthrum
Finger-pointing one way or another over these things is not really helpful. What we really need is a big push to deal with the most severe issues - power generation, industrial- and plastics pollution.
Some of that requires investment in existing technologies - which needs the application of shareholder/consumer/taxpayer/voter pressure - but also the development and introduction of new ones.
In addition, changes of basic habits (at government and business levels, as well as personal). Don't throw so much stuff away. Reduce packaging. Recycle where possible and make it easy. Don't buy so much stuff produced in a polluting or unsustainable fashion and trasported long distances.
Always the voice of pragmatism!
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If anything illustrates what a bunch of lemmings we are, it's this. on 10:08 - Mar 1 with 1323 views
Cars have got bigger. Mrs Cs Yaris will fit in the garage, my Audi A3 won’t. My buddy’s Focus is bigger than the Mondeo he used to have. When you see an older car, such as a Mini or even say an 80s BMW 3 series, they look tiny. So why the growth in car size? Because bigger is perceived as better.
As for SUVs I cannot fathom why anyone would want one unless there is a specific need. I certainly wouldn't. Expensive to run, hard to park, roads not big enough - why have one? You can get taller cars with height to them but a small ‘footprint’ too. I know Toyota make one. What about safety? The majority of cars are ridiculously safe now so it’s not a factor. Large family? A larger standard car will take five with ease.
For me it’s mostly fashion and ego boost/look at me stuff in the same way if you are driving a small car, some people will attempt to bully you with lights, tailgating etc. A minority of other road users noticeably treat me differently if I’m driving Mrs Cs car (that might of course be my rubbish driving).
As a starting point, I would tax all large vehicles off the road, unless there is a need - work related such as farming, medical related such as high/easy access for those with mobility issues.
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If anything illustrates what a bunch of lemmings we are, it's this. on 10:14 - Mar 1 with 1307 views
If anything illustrates what a bunch of lemmings we are, it's this. on 09:47 - Mar 1 by Guthrum
Finger-pointing one way or another over these things is not really helpful. What we really need is a big push to deal with the most severe issues - power generation, industrial- and plastics pollution.
Some of that requires investment in existing technologies - which needs the application of shareholder/consumer/taxpayer/voter pressure - but also the development and introduction of new ones.
In addition, changes of basic habits (at government and business levels, as well as personal). Don't throw so much stuff away. Reduce packaging. Recycle where possible and make it easy. Don't buy so much stuff produced in a polluting or unsustainable fashion and trasported long distances.
"Finger-pointing one way or another over these things is not really helpful."
This is true, for the most part. As others have made the point, large corporations try and steer us towards stuff that they know is wrong because they value profit overall.
The whole "climate footprint" thing was an amazing little piece of advertising from BP to turn the blame onto people so that the focus is taken off of them and laws that can actually create proper change.
People can and should do their best to limit their impact, but the much much bigger prize is regulation.
Quick video on this from the excellent Climate Town
If anything illustrates what a bunch of lemmings we are, it's this. on 09:47 - Mar 1 by Guthrum
Finger-pointing one way or another over these things is not really helpful. What we really need is a big push to deal with the most severe issues - power generation, industrial- and plastics pollution.
Some of that requires investment in existing technologies - which needs the application of shareholder/consumer/taxpayer/voter pressure - but also the development and introduction of new ones.
In addition, changes of basic habits (at government and business levels, as well as personal). Don't throw so much stuff away. Reduce packaging. Recycle where possible and make it easy. Don't buy so much stuff produced in a polluting or unsustainable fashion and trasported long distances.
There's also the factor that many SUV drivers like myself never buy *new* cars - even the smallest of which would require environmentally unfrendly usage of a helluva lot of resources.
Instead, we repair & recycle old ones. If you're a very low mileage user, the mpg trade-off (edit: I mean older cars tend to be greedier) is insignificant by comparison.
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