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Politics : Formerly About Advanced Micro Devices
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To: Road Walker who wrote (229661)4/18/2005 7:31:59 PM
From: TimF  Read Replies (1) of 1573213
 
but it's better having an efficient new vehicle than a less efficient vehicle, is it not?

Not always. The efficiency of the vehicle is not the only thing that determines which is better. There are many other aspects of the vehicles themselves plus cost concerns.

We need to promote a replacement cycle by subsidizing the replacement cycle to efficient vehicles.

I disagree.

but I'm not arguing against efficiency in general (quite the opposite really) or even efficiency in cars use of gasoline.

You sure seem to be.

Your considering efficiency in a very narrow way. You are considering the fuel economy of the car to be the main issue in determining efficiency. But it isn't the only issue here. If I want a sports car a Corvette might more efficiently give me what I want than a Prius. If I don't want to spend a lot of money, continuing to drive my 10 year old Ford would more efficiently and cheaply fulfill my desire than a new car with a tiny engine. If we just wanted to reduce fuel use we could outlaw private cars and make the penalty for owning and driving one death. Yes that is hyperbole, and you are not calling for any such thing, my point is simply that the economy is more efficient if it gives people what they want not what some central government directive says they should want. The Soviet Union used to produce tons of goods that even the people stuck in such a system didn't want. It didn't produce them using less resources, but even if it did it wouldn't be more efficient. The issue of efficiency is far wider then how many miles per gallon your car gets.

But even narrowly looking at the car MPG question I have nothing against having cars get more MPG. In fact I think it would be great, I am in no way against it. I am however against massive incentives for fuel efficient cars or large penalties for driving vehicles that use more gasoline than the average car. The fact that you use (and thus have to pay for) more gasoline is a penalty itself. I don't see any good reason good enough to justify the imposition of an extra penalty.

Tim
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