Re: One Of My Favorite Motorcycle Retailers Have Gone Green!
(Warning: weirdo who voted "no" is thinking "out loud" here...)
Well, it's a qualified "no". I think the financial incentives of owning a fuel-efficient car are their own reward. It would make more sense, to me, if the "incentive" (provided by the employer, or for that matter, anyone doing a similar thing, including a gov't. giving a tax break) were based on the emissions of the vehicle, NOT the fuel economy.
The environmental benefit of a cleaner-burning vehicle is not one that is as directly realized by the individual who buys the cleaner car, as is the financial benefit of greater FE. It makes sense (to me, anyway) for those in "power" (political and/or economic) to use that power to encourage acts that will benefit the entire world/society, BUT for which the inherent, immediate benefit to the individual might not be sufficient to provoke the act. Protecting/preserving the environment usually falls into that category. (There is no need to encourage acts that benefit the actor, our normal, "selfish" urges generally take care of those.)
Now, there might be similar societal benefits to reducing oil/gas usage, and if the financial benefit to the individual is not great enough, by itself, to encourage a reduction in usage (perhaps that's where we are now; certainly all those "you won't break even for 15 years" reports seem to suggest that), then I guess it does make sense for anyone who believes that to be a worthy goal, and has the means to subsidize it, to do so, whether they be a business owner, private individual, or political body.
I guess, on second thought, maybe I should have voted "qualified yes" rather than "qualified no". Oh well. I just hate what diesels do to the environment (maybe I'm misinformed on that topic, aren't they dirtier than regular engines?), and I saw that this employer's "incentive" prompted someone to go get one, and it bugged me. Having thought it through, I guess as long as there are people who will buy a more fuel efficient car IF an incentive is given, but who WON'T buy one otherwise, then the incentive is justified (at least to those to whom increasing FE is a worthy societal goal).
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