Comments on: Biodiesel vs. Hybrid Automobiles http://adammonsen.com/post/272 blog and sundries of Adam Monsen Tue, 06 Jan 2009 09:49:44 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.6.3 By: Patrick http://adammonsen.com/post/272#comment-9509 Patrick Sun, 27 May 2007 16:25:40 +0000 http://adammonsen.com/?p=272#comment-9509 I think this is good advice and any time someone cares and makes a conscious decision they're probably doing the right thing. But as a hybrid owner (or hyly opinionated one?) I have to pitch in one comment :) One thing the hybrid election gets that you don't get with biodiesel (or that is a little more mixed) is the displayed economic incentive to car companies that there is demand for hybrid technology, and that's a good thing. The demand for better, more cleanly burning diesel is also a good thing, for sure and you do get more greatly reduced demand for fossil fuels (and with it, reduced demand for protection of foreign oil interests) which is hard to quantify but definitely compelling. Dollar for dollar and in the final environmental analysis, you'd probably save the most and make the greatest positive impact if you bus or buy an old Festiva and spend more on green energy rather than creating the demand for a new car at all, though. The only drawback there is that I think the Festiva's engine really kills your hearing sensitivity for high frequency sounds! I think this is good advice and any time someone cares and makes a conscious decision they’re probably doing the right thing. But as a hybrid owner (or hyly opinionated one?) I have to pitch in one comment :) One thing the hybrid election gets that you don’t get with biodiesel (or that is a little more mixed) is the displayed economic incentive to car companies that there is demand for hybrid technology, and that’s a good thing. The demand for better, more cleanly burning diesel is also a good thing, for sure and you do get more greatly reduced demand for fossil fuels (and with it, reduced demand for protection of foreign oil interests) which is hard to quantify but definitely compelling.

Dollar for dollar and in the final environmental analysis, you’d probably save the most and make the greatest positive impact if you bus or buy an old Festiva and spend more on green energy rather than creating the demand for a new car at all, though. The only drawback there is that I think the Festiva’s engine really kills your hearing sensitivity for high frequency sounds!

]]>