Tournament Round 1, Match 7 - (3) Hybrid Vehicles vs. (6) Walking

(3) Hybrid Vehicles and (6) Walking. Go!

Hybrid Vehicles

While I didn't specify it, I am referring to specifically Electric-Hybrid Vehicles. There are also Hydraulic Hybrids, but the electric ones are by far the most popular, so we'll go with that. Hybrids work by charging a battery whenever the brakes are applied. Thus, starting and stopping a lot is somewhat good for your fuel efficiency. The funny thing is this "new" technology has been around for around 100 years. How about that?

Impact on the Environment (8/15):
I mean yeah, it does increase the fuel efficiency of cars without drivers changing their driving habits. But ultimately, it's only something that will slow down our dependence on foreign oil. Even if we all switch to Hybrids, we're still going to need a lot of oil. Oil that, when burned, releases carbon emissions. This will only slow the inevitable, not stop it.

Practicality (10/10):
When Hybrids were becoming popular again a few years back, the cost of the additional Hybridity (don't question my vocabulary) usually didn't offset the savings from using less gas. At least not for quite a few years. Then two things happened, gas prices went way up and the cost of making Hybrids went down as the technology matured further. This made Hybrids very very popular. It may come to the point when Hybrids are the standard for all cars and non-Hybrids are the exception. Sort of like manual cars versus automatic.

Sustainability (7/10):
Like I mentioned in the last paragraph, Hybrid technology is so innocuous (as in nobody would notice too much if all cars were Hybrids) that it may become the standard for all cars. This would be a good thing, because there would be little to no resistance to everyone switching to Hybrids.

Awesomeness (6/10):
Hybrids are a really savvy marketing technique because they have such an evocative connotation. Buying Hybrids is the way that lazy people can show that they care about the environment without doing anything strenuous like recycling or Walking to work.

User Input (0/5):
Get those comments in, everyone!

Walking

When I say Walking, I mean Walking to something that you normally drive (or ride your bike) to, thus saving gas (or wasting time).

Impact on the Environment (15/15):
If we took all the cars off the road, we'd be set. As in, done. Our environmental problems would be over. Carbon levels in the atmosphere would drop back to normal levels and climate change would slow down. The polar bears would be saved. The coral reefs would grow back. Al Gore would have to find a new line of work.

Practicality (1/10):
There are very very few cases when you can justify Walking everywhere you go. Unless of course you go to college, but you know from Green Tip #72 that's not the best idea. Even living in a big city, you still have to take the bus or taxis. And what about moving? Are you really going to carry that couch all the way across town or to another state?

Sustainability (5/10):
Well, people will always need to Walk a little bit around the house or to the mailbox. But it's a gamble if people will be Walking more or less to places. It depends a lot on if people continue to expand outwards to the suburbs or if people in the suburbs move back into the city that has been abandoned by the people who moved to the suburbs in the first place.

Awesomeness (3/10):
Okay, so at first it would be pretty awesome. Never paying for gas? Sounds awesome! Ha! Wait until winter. Or when it's raining. Or late at night. Okay, I think you get the point. Walking everywhere would get pretty darn un-awesome.

User Input (0/5):
Get those comments in, everyone!

Alright, let's tally those scores!

Hybrids: 31
Walking: 24

Hybrids will move on to face another foe. Who will it be? Find out Saturday when (2) Electric Vehicles takes on (7) Carbon Offsets.