Are Scrappage Schemes Really Environmentally Motivated?
Scrappage schemes abound throughout Europe and America. All of them offer financial incentives to scrap working but older vehicles as trade-ins for brand new ones. In order to qualify the owner must consent to the older vehicle being crushed after the sale is complete.
These Scrappage schemes have all been hailed for addressing environmental concerns. Some regions even state emissions requirements for the new vehicles being bought.
This environmental angle has also been pushed by the motor trade. For example the chief executive of the UK's Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders Ltd has been quoted as saying "smaller, lower CO2-emitting cars are taking the lion's share of registrations, which will have a positive impact in reducing emissions..."
I'm sorry to say it's actually a load of nonsense. There is no environmental benefit to scrapping a perfectly serviceable car and replacing it with a brand new one. In fact the opposite is true as it takes more energy to produce one new car than it does to run an existing vehicle for an additional 100,000 miles.
So are our world leaders being advised incorrectly? Are they being sold an environmental lie? No I don't think so. I think you'll find they know exactly what they are doing. We live in Capitalist societies and our motives and those of our governments are almost always entirely economic.
But getting the dirty old bangers with stinking black exhaust fumes is a good thing I hear people cry and I have to agree. But Scrappage isn't the answer. The people who drive dangerous heaps on a shoestring budget are quite simply not the target audience of the schemes no are they? People close to the poverty line can't afford to buy brand new cars even with a 10% reduction in purchase price no can they?
The people who will take part in, and benefit from, Scrappage schemes are middle income, middle class professionals. They are the group of society most likely to be considering the purchase of a brand new car and also, coincidentally, the same group of people most likely to be persuaded by a cleverly worded advertising campaign about saving the environment. Unfortunately they are also the drivers of the older but perfectly serviceable vehicles which we should be encouraging the continued use of rather than buying new.
If you're taking what I've said with a pinch of salt but are still reading this article, might I suggest you actually ask the new car dealers what vehicles they have scrapped under the scheme. I believe you won't find very many smoking old bangers on the list.
These Scrappage schemes have all been hailed for addressing environmental concerns. Some regions even state emissions requirements for the new vehicles being bought.
This environmental angle has also been pushed by the motor trade. For example the chief executive of the UK's Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders Ltd has been quoted as saying "smaller, lower CO2-emitting cars are taking the lion's share of registrations, which will have a positive impact in reducing emissions..."
I'm sorry to say it's actually a load of nonsense. There is no environmental benefit to scrapping a perfectly serviceable car and replacing it with a brand new one. In fact the opposite is true as it takes more energy to produce one new car than it does to run an existing vehicle for an additional 100,000 miles.
So are our world leaders being advised incorrectly? Are they being sold an environmental lie? No I don't think so. I think you'll find they know exactly what they are doing. We live in Capitalist societies and our motives and those of our governments are almost always entirely economic.
But getting the dirty old bangers with stinking black exhaust fumes is a good thing I hear people cry and I have to agree. But Scrappage isn't the answer. The people who drive dangerous heaps on a shoestring budget are quite simply not the target audience of the schemes no are they? People close to the poverty line can't afford to buy brand new cars even with a 10% reduction in purchase price no can they?
The people who will take part in, and benefit from, Scrappage schemes are middle income, middle class professionals. They are the group of society most likely to be considering the purchase of a brand new car and also, coincidentally, the same group of people most likely to be persuaded by a cleverly worded advertising campaign about saving the environment. Unfortunately they are also the drivers of the older but perfectly serviceable vehicles which we should be encouraging the continued use of rather than buying new.
If you're taking what I've said with a pinch of salt but are still reading this article, might I suggest you actually ask the new car dealers what vehicles they have scrapped under the scheme. I believe you won't find very many smoking old bangers on the list.
About the Author:
John Vincent writes for used motorbikes in the midlands and the moped spot" in his spare time. The rest of his life is meaningless.
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