What to do? Choose the economy or the environment

My family choose using mass transit. Both of my daughter use it if they go to school, so do I. Though I had been sold both of my minivan about five years ago. I prefer ride my motorbike or using mass transit. Riding a private car is very pleasing, but we can draw more fun if we can meet people to learn something. But it is just my opinion.

My bank account chooses for me. I won't be buying any kind of car in the near future. I have a 1978 gas guzzling car, needlessly to say it doesn't go much. I would love to have a new car, but who can afford one. I do feel that our economy will improve and soon too. I like to be optomistic. BTW, my "old" car still runs great.

oh, good and hard question. if I were you, I think I will choose mass transit now, and try to save enough money and buy a nice new green car later.

we have an old car, its an 89 model. and it runs on water. last year my husband had finished with his project hydrogen fuel and had successfully installed it in our car. it's running perfectly. we still use gas but not that much as we used when we haven't got that hydrogen fuel device in it. we are planning on buying a van (when we have the extra money for it), but not the new ones as they are expensive, preferably some late 90s model or early 2000s, and we will install the hydrofuel there also. here's the video of our car with the water power if you want to see it http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h6Npt0eYA4U if only the government will just take a look at these inventions, we wouldn't be in such a mess right now. Dingle had invented a water powered engine (no gasoline needed), and what did my govt (Philippines) do? ignore him... and now other country are the ones using his invention because they bought his patent. we would've have depended less on oil companies and have helped the environment at the same time.

Our best option I think, is to go "green" as much as possible. My truck is 9 years old now and it has over 140,000 miles on it. I intend to keep it until repairs cost me more than having a new car would! I financially cannot take that plunge right now. So... I ride mass transit when I can.. because they are running anyway, whether I ride or not! I walk or ride a bike as much as is feasible. I drive as little as possible, and hope to set up a savings account to go green as soon as I can!

I personally use mass transit for many reason: first is that it takes less time to commute by trains&subway than by car in the massive traffic jams of a city like rome, the second is the economic one 150€ annual public transport subscription against 700+ € for the auto insurance alone, the third is that this way i avoid burning precious fossil fuels that sooner or later are going to be depleted, the 4th is that driving in the traffic makes me nervous, while sitting in the train reading is much more relaxing. Obviously i am fortunate that i have subway and train station near my home and near the university. Many people don't really have a choice, they either drive a car or stay home, since my city is not very bike-friendly (no reserved lanes).

hi debsplace! honestly, i am in jeopardy in that issue. just the other day, i saw electric lines getting caught in overgrown trees along the sidewalks of our city. in my heart, i don't want these trees cut down. we are already facing global warming and the last thing we need is to cut down trees. but those electrical wires dangling are dangerous with the trees bothering them. the best solution would be to have underground cables, but which our government could not afford. this is a long term solution that we just cannot afford now. or maybe it would take a lot of planning and a lot of reconstruction as drainage will also be affected. the short term solution would be to cut down the tress and just probably plant shrubs just to beautify the areas. but it breaks my heart to see those trees cut down. what do we do? it seems we are powerless because of the inevitable. sigh....if only i had the power to make a change. take care and God bless you! happy mylotting! :D

At this point and time, I would have to go with a used car. I think all we can do right now, is concentrate on making it through this. I would love to have a brand new green car also, but don't see it in my future anytime soon.

I don't really know what the solution would be, however most of us are not finacilly able to buy a new car/truck etc...I have a 2002 Mazda p/u and i will have to keep it until the wheels fall off...

They say you have to play the hand you're dealt. If mass transit is not an option for you, it's not. If you can't afford to replace your 10 year old minivan right now, you can't. So, you do what you can for your community and the economy as best you can. Recycle, support your local small businesses and take care of your family. I'm in a similar boat. I live in a rural area and can't afford a 'green' vehicle but I do what I can to help my neighbors and my community.

Hi Debs_place, I would prefere to go green but at trhe moment its impossible for us, we have just bought a second hand car from a friend, its a smaller car and used less petrol(gas) so I don't mind that at all, its a good little car, its just getting usd to it thats all. Tamara

Hi,Debs_place Hum,I think everyone wants a good environment while everyone wants convenience as well.So,it is not easy to make a decision.For me,I have been always wanting to buy a car,so I think I will still buy a car in the near future.However,that doesn't mean that I give up on environment.Maybe cars will be environmental friendlly when I buy one. Have a nice day!

My idea is neither for the GREEN nor the ECONOMY. If you really think about this, you may get confused all by yourself. What to do? And what to choose? Here's an option for you to choose if you have to cut off one of your hands, which would you choose? It's an example. For the best solution, we cannot simply choose one according to disadvantages of that one, because you know, the other has its own disadvantages too. Hence, we don't choose one. When you really need a car, just buy one. Sometimes we common people have to leave some problems to the experts, right? lol. Don't think too much, buddy.

There's is no decision about have one of both, economy or environment. We can have both together if we learn to produce products which you can to recycle for 100 per cent. So the economy can growing and growing and there's is no polution....

I always get used cars, but with good care, our used (very used) cars get good mileage and so that is the option for us. It also helps the environment because frequently we take a junker that is an eyesore, just sitting, and turn it into a productive item, keeping it out of the landfill. Parts often are salvaged, again, benefitting the environment. I think taking good care of what you have is the best way to go.

My husband and I are both legally blind, so we do not have a choice in this matter. I think there are many other ways in which we can stimulate the ecconomy. Somewhere someone will always need a car, and perhaps when the ecconomy gets a little better, people will start buying more of them.

mass transit for me, that is what I have been doing all my life, I don't know how to drive and neither does my 32 year old son who lives with me, we never had money for a car and I don't really need one.

I think if everybody were to take the decision to use mass transit, then eventually, the price of new cars would have to go down to an affordable level. I think that maybe gas might go down too if this option were taken. If nobody's buying the stock pile of cars and gas, then something has to be done to attract custom, and maybe this would just do the trick. Brightest Blessings.

if your vehicle is still working fine, i suggest that you save up for a new one in the future. i think it i snot a matter of going green or help save the economy, it is more of savings. savings is the best solution for us individuals to help save the economy because if we don't have enough then we don not have any money to spend to help those companies to keep their employees.