I'd choose the more efficient one because I could probably save money on my energy bills if I did so. However, I wouldn't do this because I believe I am actually "being green". In the end, it should be my choice.
So you'd happy, everything else being equal, to pollute more given the choice?
I've never heard of two cars with identical styling, equipment, performance etc, yet one's better in terms of mpg and "pollutes" less. This is because you left out the most important factor, the cost. If it costs more to drive what you claim to be the better one, I wouldn't pay up. The fact is, you're environmental impact, regardless of what you buy, is so extremely small it won't matter. Did you also consider that the more efficient car probably took more energy to build as well?
I'm glad you understood I was talking hypothetically to illustrate a point
And you're right, individual impact does very little. Multiply that by a billion cars or a hundred thousand power stations and the impact becomes much greater. Problems only arise when
everyone thinks "well, it won't make a difference if I don't do anything".
Individual effort = little effect.
Collective effort = large effect.
Unfortunately, we live in a society where people don't give a toss. Even if AGM was scientifically confirmed, the people who don't believe in it now wouldn't change their ways.
As for using more energy to create, studies have shown that after only about four or five years at 10k miles a year an average hybrid will have compensated for it's entire energy production over a regular car. I'm not saying everyone should start driving hybrids because not everyone wants to, but it certainly rubbishes the assumption that they're somehow worse than regular cars.
Maybe they have a different set of beliefs.
Wilfully choosing to pollute rather than choosing not to isn't a set of beliefs, it's cretinous. It's like dropping your soda can on the floor instead of in the trash can next to you simply because you can.
Pollution as an unavoidable by product of doing something? Can't be helped. Actually saying you'd rather pollute than not doing so is moronic.
Why are you concerned about our "impact"?
Why shouldn't I be?
Again, it comes back to the question of whether you'd wilfully create pollution rather than not doing so, all other things being equal. It's not about CO2, it's about everything.
A study by the European Commission a few years ago attributed over 310,00 premature deaths every year in Europe to air pollution, 32k in the UK every year. Even if that was literally the
only way humankind was responsible for pollution, that's still quite a large figure.
On a personal note, I'm fascinated in the technology behind attempting to reduce our impact on the planet. It's human nature to try and improve things. Being happy to just keep things as they are are goes against the human characteristic of responding to challenges, advancing technology etc.
As I mentioned earlier, modern cars aren't just cleaner than their older counterparts, they're quicker, better equipped and safer too. Were it not for the push to improve engine efficiency to meet environmental regulations, would our cars be advanced today as they are? I doubt it.