a change of behaviour: the opinion of a mere mortal

Well... until recently I was quite enthusiastic about the car industry. It started as a typical boy's childhood obsession of cars (I spent much of my youth absolutely certain that I would end up working in it) until it gradually faded into nothing but indifference. Leading up to this feeling of indifference came a feeling of being somehow let down by the industry as a whole. There have been so many wasted opportunities by manufacturers to take on and to be the pioneers of new environmentally sound technologies and measures. They just haven't been taken up with the enthusiasm or the attitude required. I want to know the reason for this. It just seems like things are happening much too slowly. And it's unlikely that people are going to stop buying cars anytime soon (due to lack of any serious alternatives) and now it's getting to become a really serious issue. Some say that we are, in fact, too late.

Perhaps my disappointment at the car industry as a whole is slightly misdirected as I am sure that every sector plays a varying part in this, and indeed, some manufacturers more than others, but somehow I doubt that there is a lack of money to research and develop these technologies further, or to even just provide some kind of support, by some of the leading car manufacturers. They should be doing more about this. Instead they seem to be taking a step back into the past where no one cared as much, burying their heads in the sand, and introducing cars with even more powerful engines which do emit more pollutants than the average car in real terms, no matter how you want to dress it up (just less than an engine of the same capacity say 20 years back). How can some of these super-powerful cars really be justified? and in reality, is one going to drive faster than 70 or 80mph on normal roads? It just seems to me that as long as their is a market for these vehicles, they will continue to offer them, no matter how immoral that might be. As well as that, cars seem to be getting bigger and heavier, which means the consumption of more natural resources and the release of more Co2 in the manufacturing process and the consumption of more fuel to drive the extra weight (although I accept that some new models do have a very good fuel consumption but these tend to be smaller vehicles). Just compare the dimensions of the 1970s Mk1 Volkswagen Golf with those of the outgoing model. You'd be shocked. I am, however, impressed with companies such as Honda who appear to be regulating, or even shrinking the size of their models. Take the latest Honda Civic as an example. Well done Honda.

And what of the government? Governments have the final say, so why are they not doing more? I'm sure that some of it is to do with economic performance. It is in a government's interest to keep the automotive industry healthy and to keep it as free of things which might keep it from developing as possible. At the cost of the environment? So maybe part of my disappointment, or even anger, should be directed towards the government. Why are these issues thrown about about in Parliament by people who are clearly completely out of touch with this kind of issue (after all it's fashionable to have some environmental policy) yet, in reality, never seem to be as high up the agenda as they are made out to be? It all seems like a lot of hot air to me (nothing new). Members of parliament are supposed to be our representatives, but I don't feel like my view is particularly well-represented. Lets be honest, to whom in Parliament does it really matter? Naturally, this brings me onto the point of taxation, and the London congestion charge, Ken Livingstone's pet. His answer to everything is to tax everyone to the eyeballs. In my opinion, taxation does not change behaviour. Especially for smaller businesses (like the one that I work for). It just means that they lose out, and lose out very badly. The most. It just seems like a massive squeeze, which is actually to the detriment of the economy, but which doesn't seem to do a lot for the environment. It's crazy. Why should it be possible that a car can pass it's MOT in the rest of England, but in London, one has to pay another charge depending on the emmissions that his vehicle produces? London is our capital city, not another country. The same rules should apply. We should be advised and helped to change our behaviour. Not taxed and penalised. Soon, no one will want to come here, and I wouldn't blame them. It's not surprising that in London the weapon of choice for the 'better off'/minicab drivers is the hybrid Toyota Prius -a £17,000 (minimum price) city runabout, and almost always a second car (used when the 4x4 is in it's garage, or when it is off out polluting another part of the country) to beat the congestion charge. That's it, simply to beat the congestion charge. Isn't that wrong? I think so. So a car which runs on petrol and electricity can go for free. It's not surprising that people behave in this way because they are not educated properly, and not made to realise that there are actually consequences for what they do. Let me reiterate, the Toyota Prius does not solve climate change, and it is not reducing the size of the hole in the ozone layer. Sorry. And I am not speaking as an expert (can you tell?) but purely as a normal person, who observes what is around him, who does drive (mainly for work), is aware that he is causing irrepairable damage to the environment, but wishes that he were actually given accessible ways to drive (and live his life in general) in a more environmentally-friendly way. It seems to me that the normal person on the street can shout about this as much as he wants but nothing is actually done. A real solution to the problem would be nice, and not one of these half-baked 'solutions' that we seem to be inundated with. People should be taught that things have consequences and not just slapped with a charge.

I think that, with the help of governments, the car industry could take on this challenge with so much more enthusiasm, and it could be a fascinating and rewarding challenge. It is so frustrating for me because my interest and faith in the car industry might be restored if I knew that more were being done. Indeed, I'd love to be involved. Just realised that I wrote an essay, sorry!