Environmental conservation
Introduction
The drive for environmental conservation has become increasingly urgent, especially as we realize how fragile our earth really is. Since pollution from automobiles is one of the major factors in environmental degradation, certain groups of citizens have advocated for energy efficient cars, such as hybrid cars and electric cars. Here, we will analyze the costs and benefits of owning a hybrid car.
Guiding Question
How do hybrid cars address the issues of energy conservation, environmental protection, and fiscal responsibilities?
Questions
1.
What is a hybrid car?
2. How does a hybrid
car save gas? Briefly explain the technical intricacy in laymen's terms.
3. How much extra money
does one need to add to buy a hybrid car than to buy a similar, traditional
car, if any?
4. Are there tax
incentives to buying a hybrid car? Are the incentives the same for every one?
What about the tax you would be paying for gas purchases?
5. What are the
disadvantages of buying a hybrid car versus a conventional car? Consider size,
initial cost of the car, style selection, comfort, safety, and popularity of
the car.
6. Are there
environmental implications? What do you think the savings would be in a dollar
amount for having cleaner air? (Hint: think of how much it costs to clean air
pollution.)
7. Do hybrid cars need
more maintenance? If so, how much more money do you need per
month? If not, how much money would you save per month?
8. Is it difficult to
find automobile mechanics with expertise in maintaining hybrid cars?
9. What brands of
hybrid cars are currently out in the market? Which corporations are producing
them now?
10. Excluding the
initial cost of purchase, what is the yearly savings of driving a hybrid car?
Assume this person drives an average of 350 miles per week, and gas costs $1.75
per gallon. Also, please include the cost of maintenance, insurance, and price
depreciation of the car. Price depreciation means the amount of money that the
car's net worth will lose each year. Is the difference in cost significant over
a period of one year?
11. What is the safety
record of hybrid cars? Is the safety record comparable to those of conventional
cars?
12. About how many hybrid
cars were sold in the
13. Given last year's
sales figure, what percent of cars sold last year were hybrid cars?
14. Given this year's
sales projection, what percent of cars sold this year are expected to be hybrid
cars?
15. If you were to
graph the percentage of hybrid cars sold in the
16. Does driving a
hybrid car increase or decrease our reliance on import oil?
Internet Resources
Pluses and Minuses of Hybrid
Cars
How Hybrid Cars Work
Hybrid Maintenance
What's Available Now
What is a Hybrid Car?
Ford
Hybrid-Electric Powertrain
Fuel Processors
Downside of Fuel
Processors
How the Hydrogen
Economy Works
Advantages of
the Hydrogen Economy
2003 Tax savings
for Hybrid Car Owners
Activities
1.
If
you were an environmental activist, what would you advocate? How would you
substantiate your claims?
2.
If
you were an executive of a motor corporation that makes only conventional cars,
how would you persuade potential customers to choose your cars over hybrid
cars?
3.
If
you were a single parent with a very limited budget, what types of cars would
you prefer, conventional or hybrid cars? Why?
4.
If
you were a middle class American who had already achieved the "American
dream," what would be your preference?
5.
If
you were an OPEC oil minister, what would be your view of hybrid cars? What
would you do to serve your country's interest?
Ian Fung, Teacher, and Chanda Kim, AP student, collaborated to develop this web hunt.