Ok. The moment that I was dreading arrived. I am playing with the idea of getting a car. Well, it's not that I am playing with the idea, it's just that I realised I kind of need one for doing certain things that make my life better. I am an adventurous kind, and well, sometimes the buses don't allow you to have adventures. Plus, really, is riding 5 buses for a total of 6 hours more sustainable than driving just 2? The most serious sustainable heads out there will say 'change your lifestyle', but as you know I am one for sustainability within a good life worth living. I am not expecting others make massive sacrifices, and that's why i started this blog - to show that one can just be more mindful in everyday life choices without having to become a full-on 'hippie without a phone'. So, I need a car. And I have been wondering to myself: can I go with my idea of a used car or would i be better buying a new car that would be 'greener' ? So I started my research.
Electric cars Electric cars are still not perfect. For starters, green energy still is not the main source, so the electricity these cars rely on is fossil fuel based. This is far from green. Secondly, these cars have more complex battery systems that are not yet recyclable and so many others 'new' parts are much harder to dispose of than the more classical, mechanical, versions New cars While new cars may be designed with 'fuel efficiency' in mind, they have also required lots of new materials to build. New materials are often made from sources that are far from 'green', for example metals that may be found only in mines in some natural areas or in the bottom of the sea (if you have never heard of sea mining, stay tuned!) . These parts may also be built somewhere and assembled somehwere else, with cars being then moved around to be sold in another country. This will make the carbon emissions of making a new car way higher than the emissions eventually offset by the fuel efficiency in the course of the car life. Used cars Okay, so it seems that used cars may be the better choice here. Of course, though, there is gonna be some better and worse choices. In primis, this will depend on your use for the car. You want something that fits in the box of what you will need to use the car for, AKA do spend some time doing your research. You may not want an SUV if you only go around in the city. And then, you can be more green by using your car better. A lot of emissions savings can be made by driving better. Here some tips:
Of course, the better option is to replace when possible the car trips with a bus, tram, train.., but when that isn't feasible, owing a car will not make you an evil person who doesn't care. Just own it responsibly!
1 Comment
8/17/2020 07:37:35 pm
I love the in-depth analysis and organization of this post!!
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