"Hybrid Vehicles and Green Washing: Implications to Transit?"

- hybrid vehicles still have manufacturing impacts (not all green)

- is there a standard for classifying something as "green"?

- competition with transit

- perhaps hybrid manufacting companies are just trying to get those who want to be more "green" to buy these vehicles, so they believe they are contributing or "doing their part" to help the environment

- economics of vehicle use

- public perception: "Jennifer Aniston goes Green by buying a hybrid car!" (People Magazine article)

- is hybrid cars just for 'fashion'?

- people want to reduce their ecological footprint so they buy a hybrid car but are they driving any less? 

    - buying a "green" vehicle may give less incentive to taking transit

- Smart Cars: are they actually "smart"?

- "conservation rebound effect": studies have indicated when we have an 'energy efficient product', we use more of that resource than we normally would (ie: will we drive more with our hybrid cars than the alternative?)

- people drive cars as a status symbol, thus where do hybrid cars, Smart cars, ethonol cars, electric cars fit in?

- Conclusion: "Green" is UNDEFINED

- eco-logo is only Canadian certified envir. label

- perhaps it IS better to drive a hybrid car than the alternative vehicle choices...they are better than the standard

- the RELIABILITY of car travel is what makes many people drive/own their own car