04-21-07 by dugan
Happy Earth Day, OilWatchdoggers. To celebrate, the hubby and I dumped the 13-year-old guzzler and bought a Prius. OK, we’re way behind blogger Simpson, who’s been driving a sleeker, more efficient Honda Insight for years–and wimpier than the three FTCR colleagues who drive fuel-sipping medium-sized motorcycles through the urban gridlock.
Drivers who convert an old truck to biodiesel, with tailpipe aroma of French fries, are the front-runners of motorized escape from Big Oil. After all, buying any new car has a big carbon cost just from the manufacture of the vehicle. That does it for the smug factor of the Prius, except for only visiting the gas station every other week. (Still, the dashboard screen that tells you constantly how many MPG you’re getting is as hypnotic as a snake charmer. And it turns out the screen has “secret” codes for supergeeks. Technologically, it’s the Batmobile without the funny outfits.) Earth Day is about more than Big Oil, but it reminds us of the stranglehold oil companies have—and want to keep—on transportation fuels. Most working people can’t afford to celebrate the day with a new car, and except in