Save money, not (just) whales

I have been subjecting myself to a lot of self-analysis recently, acting as a one-man focus group if you like.

The question...why do I do so little to reduce my personal carbon footprint when I am aware of, and convinced by, the need to do so? Moreover, why I am slow to take personal responsibility while urging others to do so?

I don't have the whole answer yet, but I have learnt a lesson this week. A lesson about the power of information, transparency, engagement, pride, and instant reward and recognition. And it all happened because I rented a Toyota Prius.

For those who don't know, the Prius is a hybrid vehicle, running on a combination of petrol and electric power. It's not cheap, but is said to reward its owners through significant fuel cost savings over time. It's fair to say it had never excited me.

I arrived in Brisbane on Tuesday night to be told my car of choice (a large, comfortable, and in hindsight inefficient vehicle) was unavailable. In its place I was offered a Prius at no extra cost. It would save me money on fuel, plus it would be an opportunity to try out a hybrid, so I took it.

The interesting thing for me was that I didn't simply benefit from the superior fuel efficiency of the vehicle. I also benefited from the fact that the Prius changed the way I drive.

By providing clear, detailed, real-time information on the performance of the vehicle, the balance of petrol and electric power, and the current and average petrol consumption, the Prius made me more conscious of the impact of driving style on consumption than I had ever been before. The information it provided encouraged me to make subtle but critical changes that cost me little in time but saved me dollars in petrol costs.

For the first time, I was seeing the pay-off from smart behaviour, and while I was feeling the benefit in petrol dollars, the environment was reaping the rewards of lower carbon emissions. A win-win in other words, and I didn't even feel warmly eco-good about it. I just felt satisfied that I was playing the money-saving game and winning. There's surely a lesson in that.

Comments

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