6 ms·

This is a really good point: if you are going to buy a car anyway, it might be better to buy an electric car (though I, personally, doubt it, and would love to

This is a really good point: if you are going to buy a car anyway, it might be better to buy an electric car (though I, personally, doubt it, and would love to see the actual environmental impact), but if you want to help the environment, buy a used car. Almost any used car will be better for the environment than the best new car.

skybrian 15y ago
That's true as far as it goes, but this gets very tricky to analyze, because if you don't buy the used car, someone else will. If you do buy it, what would the other buyer have done instead? (Bought a new car? Kept running their old car?) Assuming it's not a gross polluter, keeping a car on the road longer than it would have been otherwise is probably a win, since that extends the average lifetime of the fleet and reduces demand for new cars. But that has more to do with good maintenance over the life of the car, rather than what transactions happened along the way.
csomar 15y ago
I'm missing some point here. Isn't a new car more environment friendly?
- stonemetal 15y ago
  I would think it depends on the new car and the old car and usage, but the idea is that a large amount of resources goes in to making a car so saving that initial outlay of resources by reusing an older car would more than cover the difference in fuel consumption.
  - csomar 15y ago
    ..but the idea is that a large amount of resources goes in to making a car so saving that initial outlay of resources.. If so, then why work? Isn't that a waste of Energy, time and resources? We could simply live on like humans did thousands of years ago...
    - RickHull 15y ago
      > If so, then why work? Most people need to pay the bills. Room, board, that sort of thing. > Isn't that a waste of Energy, time and resources? Work for work's sake -- perhaps. If you rather receive something desirable in proportional exchange for your labor, then no. > We could simply live on like humans did thousands of years ago... Whaddya mean we? All 7 billion of us? Not a chance. 7 million, maybe. I, for one, am getting up at 8am tomorrow.
- IgorPartola 15y ago
  Not at all. It takes a lot of energy and materials to mine and process the raw materials to create a new car. You have to take into account the whole process, from building new mines, to creating sheet aluminum, to building the factories to put new cars together. The list goes on.

skybrian 15y ago

That's true as far as it goes, but this gets very tricky to analyze, because if you don't buy the used car, someone else will. If you do buy it, what would the other buyer have done instead? (Bought a new car? Kept running their old car?) Assuming it's not a gross polluter, keeping a car on the road longer than it would have been otherwise is probably a win, since that extends the average lifetime of the fleet and reduces demand for new cars. But that has more to do with good maintenance over the life of the car, rather than what transactions happened along the way.

csomar 15y ago

I'm missing some point here. Isn't a new car more environment friendly?

stonemetal 15y ago
I would think it depends on the new car and the old car and usage, but the idea is that a large amount of resources goes in to making a car so saving that initial outlay of resources by reusing an older car would more than cover the difference in fuel consumption.
- csomar 15y ago
  ..but the idea is that a large amount of resources goes in to making a car so saving that initial outlay of resources.. If so, then why work? Isn't that a waste of Energy, time and resources? We could simply live on like humans did thousands of years ago...
  - RickHull 15y ago
    > If so, then why work? Most people need to pay the bills. Room, board, that sort of thing. > Isn't that a waste of Energy, time and resources? Work for work's sake -- perhaps. If you rather receive something desirable in proportional exchange for your labor, then no. > We could simply live on like humans did thousands of years ago... Whaddya mean we? All 7 billion of us? Not a chance. 7 million, maybe. I, for one, am getting up at 8am tomorrow.
IgorPartola 15y ago
Not at all. It takes a lot of energy and materials to mine and process the raw materials to create a new car. You have to take into account the whole process, from building new mines, to creating sheet aluminum, to building the factories to put new cars together. The list goes on.