RE: [Paddlewise] ACA and Subaru

On 3 Feb 2004 at 15:23, Carey Parks wrote:

> Subaru is just playing the game, the rules of which
> have been determined for them, probably more by lobbyists than by
> scientists. 

And by administrations that are anti-environment.  Reagan (followed 
by the Bushes) have repeatedly refused to address environmental 
issues in anything like a balanced way.  They allowed the motor 
industry to create a new market for gas guzzlers by essentially 
gutting CAFE standards and excluding small trucks from the standards.

> The car-buying market "don't" or
> they'd not buy the guzzlers, and they would go away. But they don't
> just buy them, they DEMAND them. 

Which suggests that the car buyers are acting according to 
traditional economic theory.  However, they don't, they buy according 
to advertizing and lots of other crap that has nothing to do with 
logical decision making.  If half the car buyers bought with their 
brains and with knowledge of what they were doing, the trends would 
not be as they are.  Buying a $40k SUV when a $25k van provides the 
same overall utility doesn't make economic sense.  Buying an SUV when 
a small car provides for all their _needs_ (e.g. one person commuting 
to work = 80+% of their driving) also doesn't make sense.  

The makers of the market are the sellers, not the buyers.  They know 
that and they only care about money - not the environment nor the 
health or well-being of future generations.

Mike
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