There are just some things everybody knows. Everybody knows that Colorado is America's best ski state. (Unless you live or ski in Utah and know better.) Everyone knows that Democrats believe certain things and Republicans usually believe something else. Everyone knows what young people are most concerned about these days. Everyone knows that people who live in California are the most ecologically correct citizens, just look at their laws.
Mr./Mrs. Perception--meet reality. According to Autobytel.com 40% of the people who are driving hybrids, the most ecologically friendly automobiles we have at this point in time, are Republicans while only 36% are Democrats. While this is not a significant difference, please be reminded that there are approximately 77 million registered democrats and only 55 million republicans nationwide. So if the democratic party is the environmental party, why do so many more republicans drive hybrids?
Young people are perceived as being most concerned with the environment. Of course they are the ones who have grown up with global warming preached as gospel to them since they were babies. The threat of nuclear winter that the boomer generation grew up with proved to be insufficient to justify bigger government. But reality shows that 57% of hybrid owners are over the age of 45. Yep, boomers own the most hybrids. Wait a minute! Aren't we the ones who are determined to destroy the earth and leave nothing for the generations to come?
Well, the reason for that, so we are told, is the expense of the hybrids. You have to be relatively wealthy to be able to afford one. "POP goes that perception. 35% of hybrid owners make less than $40,000 per year.
The final perception, that California, Oregon, and Washington residents are the ones who care for the environment lacks evidence as well. Only 16% of hybrids are owned by West Coasters. 31% are owned by Northeasterners, while 21% hail from the midwest. That, by the way, leaves 32% for the Mountainwest and the South.
I don't know what all that means, but I do know this. Perception is not reality, even if we think it is.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
1 comment:
standing up for people under 45, hybrids currently come at a premium, and are hard to get. We looked at getting a hybrid when we got the Jetta. At that time your only real choices were the Honda Insight, Honda Civic Hybrid, and the Toyota Prius. We looked at all three. Both the Insight and hybrid Civics were in such demand the waiting list to get one was months long. We couldn't even find one in Texas to look at. The Prius was about 8,000 more than we could afford. (It has since come down in price somewhat). since we share a car, when our last one was totalled, we couldn't wait for months to even get to drive a Civic.
I have several friends who have found themselves in similar predicaments. Boomers are farther along in life and have more disposable income, which probably contributes to the higher numbers.
Not that I'm knocking boomers at all. Thinking green, thankfully, doesn't seem to be an age thing anymore, at least not here in Austin, and I think there are tons of boomers out there who care about environmental issues. But I do know that a lot of us youngsters would love to be driving hybrids if we could afford them.
Post a Comment