DEAR READER,
I admit it. I have judged the Hummer.
I have thought my '91 Honda Civic Wagon, even with its 220,000 miles, gets much better gas mileage, making it more economical and environmentally friendly than the Hummer. And it is less obnoxious to look at. Anyone who knows me will tell you, I love my car.
But after taking a deeper look at the American obsession with the automobile - and in a bigger sense, the way transportation is set up in this country - I've noticed a huge amount of hypocrisy surrounding the topic.
While most of us are aware of the detrimental effects of car emissions to the environment, we repeatedly justify our commuting decisions. More than 200 million Americans are licensed drivers, making all of us and our cars - mine included - a part of the problem. And yet it still seems easier to point to the next worse vehicle as the problem, and not point to ourselves.
Craig Henderson built a car 25 years ago, the Avion, that has since been getting 100 miles per gallon. Western's own Vehicle Research Institute is on the forefront of new technology, working to make our driving addiction a less abusive habit. The X Prize Team is building a car that will exceed the gas mileage of Henderson's Avion, and they are ready to offer it to a mass market. Simultaneously, another wing of their department is working to turn cow manure into fuel.
In comparison, even my wagon is a gas-guzzler.
Then there are the non-drivers who are stepping out of the car altogether. Anne Baker and Paul Engel started the Baker Bus two years ago to minimize automobiles on Highway 542, which in turn reduces pollutants in the Nooksack River and watershed. The Seattle-based Undrivers Program licenses people who are working to give up cars and use alternative transportation instead. To them, Henderson's gas-savvy sports car may just be that - a frivolous sports car.
For better or worse, cars are here to stay. They are so entrenched in our society that thinking cars will simply disappear is not only naive, it is unrealistic. But instead of simply turning the blame on the biggest automobile on the road, we should take part of that environmental frustration and turn it inward to ask ourselves, "What more can I do?"
As one man's trash is another man's treasure, my little wagon can always be someone else's Hummer.
We welcome comments in the form of emails, letters or conversation.
Sincerely,
Kaylin Bettinger
Editor and Chief
