Hybrids: This is not about saving money on gas

Recently, I read an article in the Wall Street Journal entitled, "Hybrids Gear Up", by Jonathon Welsh. While it was nice to see Hybrids featured in the Wall Street Journal, the tone of the article was annoying. Over and over, Welsh focuses on the fuel-efficiency of the car, saying, "If you have this much money, you can afford the gas".

While fuel efficiency is one great advantage of hybrids, saving money on gas isn't the reason for hybrid technology, and Welsh seems to completely miss this point. Global warming, smog, traffic accidents, terrorism and war, these issues are intricately linked to the automobile industry, an industry in America which has consistently picked profit over innovation and safety.

Buying a hybrid is a political statement. It's about saying I'll do my part to clean the environment, I'll do my part to reduce consumption of a resource whose life is almost over. It's about taking responsibility for actions. There is a local, national, and world wide reaction to every SUV purchase - more pollution, more road deaths, more terrorism.

New technology can make the world a better place. Purchasing a hybrid is a vote against corporate ineptitude at the expense of workers and civilians. Rich, powerful corporations, such as the auto industry, must be held accountable for providing products which make the world a better place, not a more dangerous one.