[sustran] Hybrid cars can they help the developing world?

[Sunny]

In view of the recent comments on the hybrid cars. I would like to ask 
the members here that how many of us would feel that Hybrid cars can 
help the developing world in any way to provide relief from the 
increasing car dependency and everyday traffic jams.

I support both Todd and Olly, I don't see any benefit from having a 
hybrid in the developing cities like Delhi, Bangalore or Bangkok. In 
these cities this might increase the status symbol for many people who 
can boast on their hybrid ownership. But hybrids in any way cannot 
reduce the maternal causalities in the villages or increase the access 
to schools in the rural parts and I am sure that there are many people 
in India who have never even heard of a  hybrid.  I would have surely 
supported  if it had shown signs of increasing the equity and gender. 
These in my view are the important goals to be achieved in terms of 
transportation in the developing world.

If it comes to air pollution reduction...yes hybrids MIGHT reduce the 
air pollution but wht is the point if the existing car users don't shift 
but instead new hybrids are added to the roads. Then it is not a 
reduction in air pollution but an increase though it is only a small 
fraction. At the end of life the hybrids might be responsible for more 
pollution, air, water or land, due their improper disposal. In country 
like India when people are not educated in properly disposing their 
waste how can disposing f hybrids be achieved?

On more point, I even state din some of my earlier posts, when there is 
an increased demand in the hybrids in the developed world..what is the 
fate of their existing cars...i see two possibilities 1 - being tipped 
or 2 - is exported to the third world, in both the cases the cars 
continue to produce their part of pollution sometimes even greater.

So, on the whole i don't see any relief in the transportation scenario 
for the developing world from the advent of the hybrids unless the 
hybrids can control the human consumption pattern with the existing 
resources available for commute.

Sunny

P.S: Please see attached the picture of a real eco-car
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