Blog 2 ‘Hybrid vs. Vegetarian, a study’

Blog 2 by Kyle Knuth

‘Hybrid vs. Vegetarian, a study’

Hybrid cars are a way to make the world slightly more sustainable. The problem with hybrid cars is their battery. Although hybrid car batteries are becoming more recyclable creating a more sustainable car their production is quite expensive. The amount of production and manufacturing of this nickel based battery makes the hybrid car become more expensive then it ought to be. If we could create a battery cheaper and more efficiently than hybrid cars would be sold more helping the environment. These batteries are very expensive ranging close to $7,500 for some batteries. Part of this reason is over manufacturing and throwing away batteries instead of fixing them.
Hybrid car batteries are generally just thrown away when they die, or in some cases recycled. This problem could be solved by just fixing the battery. “It is not a problem with the nickel metal hydride cells, but a corroded connection. This is common with any electrical connector on any part of any car. The dealerships don’t fix the connections. They replace the entire hybrid battery (Craig 1)”. This is a great discovery considering even if the battery is expensive to initially buy a person would only have to spend roughly 1 to 2 thousand dollars to have it fixed. This would make these cars more sustainable and save on gas/oil.
By saving oil with these hybrid cars are economy would increase and create a more sustainable world without the pollution of a battery and the savings on oil that would emit less pollution. Becoming vegetarian also saves the environment “It's better for the planet, reducing water usage and global-warming gases. And it certainly improves the health of the cow or pig you would have devoured.” Many countries already have a near vegetarian diet with all the rice, beans, and corn that they eat. If we all started eating less red meat or becoming vegetarian the world would become more sustainable and we would all save more money. Meat substitutes are the only real expensive cost for vegetarians. By going vegetarian you are more likely to live a longer healthier life which is also clearly more sustainable for us. These health issues are lower heart disease rates, blood pressure, cholesterol, etc.
If we start trying to cut down the costs of hybrid cars and their batteries, the world will become more sustainable. This is done through the use of fixing batteries instead of throwing them away making the batteries and hybrid cars a good deal. They will save gas money, make the world less dependent on oil, and emit fewer toxins into the air saving the environment. Also, by becoming vegetarian the planet will save water, and create less global warming. It will create longer and healthier lives and make us more sustainable.







http://www.hybridcars.com/economics/hidden-costs.html

http://articles.moneycentral.msn.com/SavingandDebt/SaveMoney/GoVegetarianToSaveMoney.aspx?page=2