Do climbers consider climate change when buying a vehicle?

My wife and I are in need of a new car soon, but we can’t decide what we want, a gas guzzling AWD suv or station wagon, a truck, a small gas powered wagon or a hybrid...

Do humans consider climate change when buying a vehicle?

I'm guessing some do, some don't. I try to drive less (my car is 30 years old, I've put 120K miles on it in that time), but yeah, my next car I'll get a hybrid or electric, probably a lease if I had to do it now. It costs more but I'm in the lucky position that I can pay the price difference. If you're just scraping by, then I don't think anybody can blame you for buying the vehicle you can afford. If you have the money and think climate change is a problem then you should probably go smaller. If you don't believe in/don't care about it, then full speed ahead in the biggest SUV that you can find.

Are you going to let Mountain Project decide your next vehicle? If so, Ford Fiesta is my vote. 

Hayden Moore wrote:Ford Fiesta is my vote. 

My wife does say that I dress like a clown...

I don't. Can't speak for others.

But from geologic history it is known that warming precedes CO2 increases in the atmosphere, not the opposite. Plus it is like airborne fertilizer for plants. The highest CO2 periods in geologic history are also the must lushly vegetated. No surprise that some greenhouse growers add CO2 to the air inside to help nourish the plants. Warming will result in crops being able to be grown through longer seasons, to higher latitudes, and at higher elevations, and at faster growth rates due to accompanying increases in CO2. It is natural with warming for CO2 to increase as more decaying vegetation produces more CO2. The big mystery is not how the process starts, but what the upper limiting factor is, since this has occurred in many cycles through geologic history. What prompts cool downs is in part attributable to Milankovich cycles, but there is something else as well.

Buy what you want. No more, no less. Don't be afraid.

And when this topic goes way off the rails, as it soon will, remember, you brought up climate change on the internet!

Buy what you like. Keep in mind, you are not going to be able to offset China and India with your decision.

Im a climber and I mostly consider price when buying a vehicle.

Yes, when it comes to climate change I prefer my 4x4 Tacoma in the summer for rough dirt roads and my AWD Infiniti in the winter for snowy canyons. About every 6 months the climate changes and you should be prepared as well, buy 2 vehicles.

B Jolley wrote: Yes, when it comes to climate change I prefer my 4x4 Tacoma in the summer for rough dirt roads and my AWD Infiniti in the winter for snowy canyons. About every 6 months the climate changes and you should be prepared as well, buy 2 vehicles.

Mr. Money bags over here. I'll take your old car when you throw it out next season

Keith Wood wrote: I don't. Can't speak for others.

But from geologic history it is known that warming precedes CO2 increases in the atmosphere, not the opposite. Plus it is like airborne fertilizer for plants. The highest CO2 periods in geologic history are also the must lushly vegetated. No surprise that some greenhouse growers add CO2 to the air inside to help nourish the plants. Warming will result in crops being able to be grown through longer seasons, to higher latitudes, and at higher elevations, and at faster growth rates due to accompanying increases in CO2. It is natural with warming for CO2 to increase as more decaying vegetation produces more CO2. The big mystery is not how the process starts, but what the upper limiting factor is, since this has occurred in many cycles through geologic history. What prompts cool downs is in part attributable to Milankovich cycles, but there is something else as well.

Buy what you need. No more, no less. Don't be afraid.

And when this topic goes way off the rails, as it soon will, remember, you brought up climate change on the internet!

Buy a bigger truck! You will be helping the world and fertilizing all the plants! 

Don't worry about ice, we don't need no stinkin ice. Ice is cold, cold is bad. 

B Jolley wrote: Yes, when it comes to climate change I prefer my 4x4 Tacoma in the summer for rough dirt roads and my AWD Infiniti in the winter for snowy canyons. About every 6 months the climate changes and you should be prepared as well, buy 2 vehicles.

weather (noun): the state of the atmosphere with respect to wind, temperature, cloudiness, moisture, pressure, etc.

climate (noun): the composite or generally prevailing weather conditions of a region, as temperature, air pressure, humidity, precipitation, sunshine, cloudiness, and winds, throughout the year, averaged over a series of years.

B Jolley wrote: Yes, when it comes to climate change I prefer my 4x4 Tacoma in the summer for rough dirt roads and my AWD Infiniti in the winter for snowy canyons. About every 6 months the climate changes and you should be prepared as well, buy 2 vehicles.

as ridiculous as this sounds, i actually do the same thing...though both of my vehicles are older (12+ years). I have a small FWD car that gets great mileage and i drive it everyday. for camping and towing, we have an old 4wd truck.  i can't justify driving the truck daily since it gets 19 mpg.

for all the people who think this sounds absurd, the combined cost of both cars was cheaper than any new car on the market...plus insurance on 2 older cars is waaaay less than any new car.

Bill Shubert wrote: I'm guessing some do, some don't.

That's really the bottom line. For me, it was a consideration. I wanted a vehicle with relatively high ground clearance but still gets decent mileage, which is how I ended up with my Crosstrek.

I’m waiting on that Rivian pick up.  Looks baller.

​ youtu.be/QMfxJEfb4lw

When an electric car will serve my needs I’ll get one.

The carbon cost of driving an old car is almost always less than the carbon cost of manufacturing a new car, even if the new car gets better gas mileage.

Keith Wood wrote: I don't. Can't speak for others.

But from geologic history it is known that warming precedes CO2 increases in the atmosphere, not the opposite. Plus it is like airborne fertilizer for plants. The highest CO2 periods in geologic history are also the must lushly vegetated. No surprise that some greenhouse growers add CO2 to the air inside to help nourish the plants. Warming will result in crops being able to be grown through longer seasons, to higher latitudes, and at higher elevations, and at faster growth rates due to accompanying increases in CO2. It is natural with warming for CO2 to increase as more decaying vegetation produces more CO2. The big mystery is not how the process starts, but what the upper limiting factor is, since this has occurred in many cycles through geologic history. What prompts cool downs is in part attributable to Milankovich cycles, but there is something else as well.

Buy what you want. No more, no less. Don't be afraid.

And when this topic goes way off the rails, as it soon will, remember, you brought up climate change on the internet!

Below is an article that addresses the idea that more CO2 is good for plants. It is a refutation of claims that deniers have made. It is an interesting read.

https://climatefeedback.org/evaluation/letter-signed-by-500-scientists-relies-on-inaccurate-claims-about-climate-science/?fbclid=IwAR12lj_GOmxd8MSt_A0Fbz2tg7W3DE32L60TZgdt50f6vrSYS0SNMD-xouQ
Despite what Keith has said about CO2, I agree that you should buy what you want. Nothing you can do will make any difference one way or another. There needs to be a massive rehauling of infrastructure on a global scale if we want to mitigate climate change. Individual actions, even if everyone you know does it, will not make a dent, because too many others just don't care or think there is nothing to worry about. The best you can do is to be an example, but don't kid yourself, and don't screw up your finances for folly.
The thing is, if we moved toward a greener way of living, I think everyone would have a vastly improved quality of life*. The barriers to making these changes are that it will cost more in the short run, and too many in power deny that anything is wrong. They also lack any imagination as to how much better life could be, so they just keep doing things "the way we always have done it".
*My opinion, but it is a GOOD opinion! :D

TaylorP wrote:

Mr. Money bags over here. I'll take your old car when you throw it out next season

My vehicles are over 10 years old and well maintained. I spent less than $20k combined, so money. 10/10 would recommend buying used.

Buy the rig you want for road trips. Then park it and ride your bike as much as you can. Learn to ride it at night (lots of blinky light) and in the winter (studs and handlebar pogies) and watch your ass. You’re much more likely to get injured in a bike than from climbing. Unless you’re an alpine climber.

Bike safe.
Mal

Sprinter or bust.

Scott Fagen wrote: My wife and I are in need of a new car soon, but we can’t decide what we want, a gas guzzling AWD suv or station wagon, a truck, a small gas powered wagon or a hybrid...

My Subaru outback gets 31 MPG and is big enough for what I do.