Thursday, August 31, 2006

Want a Hybrid ? Become a Knesset member

For those of us concerned about our elected members spending taxpayers money on their fancy gas guzzling Volvos there is good news .
Knesset Members Will Be Able to Opt for Hybrid Vehicles
Updated: 08/31/2006

Following the request of Environmental Protection Minister Gideon Ezra to the Speaker of the Knesset Dalia Itzik, the Speaker has stated that within the framework of a tender won by the New Kopel company, Knesset Members will be able to order hybrid vehicles which are available in Israel: Honda Civic 1.6 liter and Toyota Prius 1.5 liter.


Hybrids are a step in the right direcion and who better than our elected menmbers to do the me first to set a precedent . There are certain issues that need to be address . The fuel consumption of the cars , Honda and Prius, is much higher than the advertised consumption as mentioned here and here . Couple it up with the hefty price tag , the cars start to look less attractive . Economics is quite naturally not the main concern here , the concern is what sort of impact it has on the environment . But until we stop using fossil fuels and start using green energy for electricity we are not doing much by using a hybrid . We are reducing the emission levels when we are driving but we are still burning the fossil fuel at some other place .
So the Knesset needs to adopt another resoluion of gradually phasing out fossil fuel run power plants and to promote alternative forms of energy . At the same time they can subsidise hybrids for the cattle class because in the end the average guy may want to save the environment but he won't do it from his pocket .

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