Why do people feel the need to drive the biggest vehicles that they can possibly buy? I can understand how if you need to move something like lumber around all day, then you'll probably want to get some sort of big truck instead of a hybrid car, but most people do not used their huge vehicles for the purposes for which they were intended. These huge SUV's, Hummers, and trucks are mearly wasting already dwindling amounts of gas. The fact is that gas is a limited resource, which makes it scarce, which means that these huge vehicles are doing absolutely no good in the modern world besides ensure that rich oil companies get even richer.
As gas prices rise, however, many people are realizing the absurdity of such huge vehicles, and the Hummer industry is losing business. Does this mean that huge vehicles will eventually become extinct. Well, if you remember from history class, the 70's went through a period of some pretty high gas prices, and people did start using more fuel efficient cars and became overall more fuel efficient. As history has proven, however, once the gas crisis was over, people went back to their inefficient, gas-guzzling vehicles, consumed gas in huge amounts, and essential regressed back to their old ways. I believe that unless gas prices remain at high prices, and continues to rise in price, then people will regress yet again. I believe that people do not necessarily learn from history, but it would be nice to see the end of the Hummer, and see the beginning of the rise of the fuel-efficient, or alternative fuel-based vehicles.
You are right, there is something about big cars that attracts people in an unconscious way. But not the gas crisis should be the factor that puts an end to the environment-damaging cars. It should be the human conscience.
Hopefully, once smart cars (www.smart.com) reach the US, as well as other efficient and economical European and Japanese cars, people will start using them. There is actually a noticeable recent trend towards smaller cars, both for their stylish designs and fuel efficiency.
You have a good point, not only do these cars use up gas, but they are also damaging to the environment. People do not tend to, however, change on the basis of their concsience, it tends to be because they are essentially forced to. It is sad, but true.
You would that people would try to think about the environment or the fact that gas prices are rising, but no.
I think this is the mentality of most Hummer owners: "Look at me! I had a ton of money just lying around, and instead of feeding some starving children in Africa, I just bought this big, ugly, unsafe vehicle! It's SO nice to be able to afford to drive a car that gets 9 mpg when gas costs $4 a gallon. Ya know?"
~Violinstef