The Oxymoron of Fuel Efficiency and the Automobile Industry

According to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (I.P.C.C) society needs to reevaluate and readjust our consumption and dependence on fossil fuels and other resources. Considered as the authority on climatic change, the I.P.C.C. which monitors and tracks climactic change attributes “the burning of fossil fuels, such as coal and oil, and deforestation” as the main contributors to global warming and has urged the world to consider altering their behavior to lower carbon emissions. This prescription coupled with the concept of finite resources has mandated global reevaluations on energy usage. Presently the global fleet of the world is estimated to be at about 600 million and it is expected to double within the next twenty years. Since the burning of fossil fuels are the main proponent to global warming, the concept of hybrid or fuel efficient automobiles emerged as a means to address this problem. The U.S. consumes 8 billion barrels of oil a year, much of which goes to fueling our vehicles; this usage was estimated at $186 billion as of last year. Based on economic forecast relating to oil and natural gas reserves and prices, the fuel conservation movement has resulted in a niche market of specialized vehicles that is motivated primarily by escalating fuel prices.

The United States, however, with only 5% of the world’s population is single handedly the world’s largest emitter of greenhouse gases “accounting for approximately 25% of global emissions and 42% of industrialized country emissions” (Weart 143). There has been a lot of debate regarding the effect of these fossil fuels on the environment because even though the evidence is undeniable, some scientists maintain the position that global warming as a result of human activities is improbable. Nevertheless, the movement to monitor our carbon footprint and dependency has gained credence in society.

Realizing the vast potentials in this market, the automobile industry has become one of the major proponents and advocates of the hybrid or fuel efficient vehicle movement. Conversely, global automobile manufacturers have adopted “green” policies and whether for real or for marketable appearances, they are taking a large step in tackling the ubiquitous issue of global warming and fuel efficiency. For a moment, let us think conservatively and analyze the situation by considering the socioeconomic costs and benefits of hybrid vehicles. The blunt truth about the matter is that the automobile industry is motivated by profit and is largely bolstered by the multibillion oil industry and as such none of these industries will sacrifice their profits. This is not to suggest that the movement has no real effect on the environment but it is one that is a first world endeavor at heart. Furthermore, special interest groups and their lobbyists are instrumental in creating governmental policy and controlling the discourse. There are obvious environmentally sound reasons for purchasing an electric vehicle, however, in my opinion that is where the road ends. Not to sound pessimistic but even if the U.S. were to adopt a hybrid vehicle only policy, that would cut down the entire world’s emission rate by 42% (this is an assumption that the only activities were automobile related), there would still be 58% of the rest of the world.


I feel that the industry is flawed at best and even initiatives such as The CLEAR ACT which focuses primarily on promoting a responsible and secure energy policy through vehicles are somewhat doomed to fail.

 
By Khalaf Al Khalaf
 
References:
- http://www.detroitproject.com/readmore/nrdc_facts.htm
- http://cantwell.senate.gov/issues/CLEARAct.cfm
- http://www.ipcc.ch/