as others have mentioned, your "motoring" contributes such an amazingly small amount to the polution of the air that you giving it up would be absolutely insignificant. If you want to give it up for other reasons, go for it, but its kinda silly to give it up for environmental reasons. Instead, go down to a Chevy dealership, and convince ONE person not to buy a Suburban, and to get a minivan instead, and you've done more good than giving up your mini will do for the environment with a lot less effort.

 

Tough dilemma, and I understand the choice. You gotta go with your gut. Lord knows I do, can't leave it at home, but it's not made for everyone. We all have different needs, and in a big city like yours, those needs are taken care of in many other ways, ways I believe still pollute. Walking or riding bikes are the only totally green ways, unless you stop by Taco Bell on the way, but is methane really that bad? But on a side note, and maybe I have been under a rock, (although I don't think I have, I think I would have felt it on my head), has anyone ever studied what the effects of cigarette smoking does for the environment/air quality/ozone/global warming thing? Aren't those things full of harmful pollutants? Bad chemicals and crap like that? (Maybe that's a side issue, not one for this thread, but if we could cut down on (fill in the blank) from other things, we wouldn't feel so bad for driving a car that already averages 32-34 miles per gallon, and has one of the best emmissions ratings.....) (Or maybe that's my way of trying to find a way for you to keep that beautiful car...)
jason

 

No, Hydro is a spray wax.

 

Can I have your wheels? I drive all over,though, and with cool wheels I'd probably drive even more, so that would likely harm the environment.

 

First off, I understand and respect your thoughts.

I guess I've never really had a problem with it because compared to the gasses that other things put out the mini is but a speck of a speck.... I'm sure a cow's fart has more toxic gas then my mini puts out in a year.

I'm not saying selling your mini won't have an effect on the environment, but the size of the effect would be equivelent to the amount of impact a fly's sneeze 100 years ago had on my day yesterday.

Another thing to think about... is that if you sell your mini, the person who buys it from you will more then likely get addicted to motoring. (probably more then you are now). So you're not really "saving" the environment at all.

So is it a means to protect the environment, or just a way to manage your guilt? (I don't mean for this to sound rude, sorry if it did but it was not my intention)

Always reminds me of that one south park....

 

DOH!!! You know what that means? THE MINI MUST BE CRUSHED!!!

 

No no no... the machine that crushes it will probably be poorly maintained and spewing terrible terrible gasses into the air as it smashed the little mini.

There must be a better way.

...

I KNOW!

Make a giant flower pot out of the mini!! Fill it with dirt, daphadils out the sunroon, sunflowers from boot... maybe some carrots and tomatoes out of the bonnet... The ultimate flower-power mini! (just don't fart or poop after eating the veggies, that's bad for the environments too)

 

Or he could use gravity and drive it off a 10 story parking garage...

I have a better idea...donate the Mini to my design studio and I'll develope Hot Sexy and Aerodynamic Wide Body Kits for the masses so everyone's Mini milage will skyrocket...

 

I share your concerns as well and understand as the other replies do. I agree with you about hybrids not being the solution. However IMHO, I do feel electric and batteries are the future and the solution, given the electricity comes from a clean source such as wind or solar (solar is nice, cause you can have your own source on your house).

With that said, have you even considered or seen the beautiful Tesla! I love this car, just don't have the $$$, but in the range of 911's, but about a year or so waiting period (because they are sold and a waiting list, not because they aren't out yet). They should soon (couple years) have a SUV type out as well.

Or, how about the (not available yet) electric mini. They have been working on this one for a while now. Not sure if you could just send yours in for them to change over or what, but at least possibilities are coming in the near future.

Good luck with what ever you do!

 

TMI TMI TMI

 

That would be really nice in a perfect & very wealthy world. I know we have to look to the future but man-o-man imagine buying a $50K+ electric car & then add the cost of installing solar panels to you house it isn't gonna happen. Here in AL the majority of our electricity is generated by the burning of coal which isn't too good for the environment either & what are we going to do with all those batteries that need to be replaced every 4 years. To all who are concerned I say ride a bike, get a Vespa, or go purchase some pseudo-green credits & pat yourself on the back I still think TP is the answer to our future, thank you Cheryl Crow

 

Not to get on your case but in your case not much of a decision nor sacrifice to give up your car. I lived in NYC for 9 years without a car. I eventually bought a motorcycle to address a joy riding needs and to get out of the city. A tank went a long, long way.

And no, Hybrids are NOT the solution BUT a step towards conservation and you should not dismiss it because it is not the ultimate solution.

My wife purchased a Lexus 400h rather than consuming two tanks per week (Infinity fx35) she now consumes 1 tank per week and she compromised just a little on performance. Additionally, since the car is entitled to use the 2 passanger high speed lane, she has reduced her commute 15-20 minutes. She drives highway primarily doing 70-80 and gets 26 miles per gallon.

There are Hybrid alternatives that do require great driving sacrifice or compromise.

 

by the way, i just remembered that when i was in Buenos Aires last year, they have a weird thing going on there... they have millions of buses that run on gasoline and spew out tons of exhaust, but most of the cars there run on natural gas, which is much cleaner, and things seem to work fine.

why hasn't the U.S. spent more time on using natural gas? (beyond the infastructure not being in place and the big oil lobbies preventing it? oh, and the fact that several south american countries are huge natural gas producers?)

 

That's something A LOT of people don't think about. I think it's a big marketing ploy to get people to buy hybrids. Show people they are helping the environment NOW... but fail to mention the destruction they'll be doing when they replace the battery.

I read somewhere (quote below) that from birth to death, hybrid cars are not that much better then interal combustion cars are in terms of overall destruction to the environment.

I always like this guys view on things and agree with a lot of it.

He also mentions the "irony" in people who buy hybrids.

Quotes from: http://www.motorists.com/ma/1100027274.html

EDIT:
Another thought...

A 747 jetliner has a capacity of 48445 gallons of fuel. Our little car has ~13 gallons. That's roughly 3800 full fills of my tank... for one fill of its tank.

Does anyone here fly?

 

I hearby absolve you of all MINI-related guilt until Al Gore stops hopping around in private jets.

 

Don't forget his mansion which consumed the equivalent of 24 average sized homes' in utility energy last year...

Anyone heard of Sudbury? Some interesting editorial about Hybrids...http://clubs.ccsu.edu/recorder/editorial/print_item.asp?NewsID=188

 

hey, we just found another earth..when we wear this one out..we can always move to the new one...no worries! motor on dudes!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

I'm from NYC/Long Island and didn't learn to drive until I moved out to California, it did not even occur to me that there was a need to drive at all in ol' Gotham so I understand that POV. As much as I looooove driving for pleasure now I know that if I had a place in NYC I would opt not to have a car, it just is more of a pain then anything there IMHO and the city zone is great just by foot/cab/train. Heck, with the money you save on parking, insurance and such you can rent a car or hire a limo when you want Or, another option that might be just the ticket would be to get an 08 Smart Fourtwo, it should be the perfect little city car - tiny for parking, good on gas, and plastic panels you can swap out

 

If you can make do without a car, do it! If you love cars, get a Scalextric set....you can collect and drive your favorites!!!

 

I love my Scalextric collection...but I stay up at night knowing the Chinese use slave labor the and all the pollution they're putting into the air just to make me these really cool toys for me...

 

If i lived in nyc i wouldn't have a car. As far as polutants... if you don't drive the pants off that car some one else will... so it's up to you.

 

One of the reasons I drive a MINI is because it's more enviromentally friendly than my GMC 1/2 ton. It's also the only small car on the market I fit comfortably in too. My truck still gets used but only when I need a truck. If MINI comes out with an electric or hydro version I'll have to seriously think about trading this one in. I don't much care what powers my car and if I can go more green why not. I would use mass transit here in Maryland if it were cost effective, but right now it takes longer and cost more than it does to drive.

 

One thought. If you live in NYC, public transportation readily available and have NO need to drive outside the city ... I would consider a smart car. They are talking deposits now for $99.

At $12K, very friendly ... more interior room than a MINI for passengers (2). 40 MPG. MORE than 3 feet shorter than a MINI. My wife loves them ... loves small cars ... she wants one ... sigh ...

As to the eco stuff. One piece of TP ain't going to cut it.

Your position is admirable and you are in a position to live w/out a car. It's not a viable alternative for most of the US population.

YO Sid ...

 

 

Hello everyone! I can't reply or join you guys on this discussion till tomorrow (Thursday). We have a big presentation tonight on our studio work for a really nice crowd. Talk to you tomorrow.
*We have some pretty cool ideas as what to do with the mini, and your imput will be great*