The Times They Are A-Changin'

apologies to Bob Dylan.



Come gather 'round people,
Wherever you roam
And admit the gas prices
Around you have grown
And accept it that soon
You'll be stuck in your home
If your gas to you is worth savin'
So you better start walkin'
Or you'll sink like a stone
For the times they are a-changin'.

Come hybrids and civics
More fuel-efficient
And dump your big trucks
The trend won't come again
And don't speak too soon
For the wheel's still in spin
And there's no tellin' who
That it's namin'.
The cost of one now
Will be later paid off
For the times they are a-changin'.

Come buyers and drivers
Please heed the call
Don't stand in the doorway
Don't block up the hall
For he that gets hurt
Will be he who has stalled
There's a battle outside
And it is ragin'.
It'll soon shake your windows
And rattle your walls
For the times they are a-changin'.

Come mothers and fathers
Throughout the land
And don't criticize
What you can't understand
Your SUV’s and mini-vans
Are beyond your command
Your gas-guzzlers are rapidly agin'.
Please get into a hybrid
So you can lend your hand
For the times they are a-changin'.

The gas it is steep
The trend it is past
The small-scale now
Will later be mass
As the gas-prices now
Will never be slashed
The order is rapidly fadin'.
And the green one now
Will help the earth last
For the times they are a-changin'.

Why Hybrids?

Our company has chosen to use only hybrid cars, which got me thinking about the larger trend toward (and in some circles, obsession with) hybrids. Bloggers have certainly taken notice; The Blog “Stuff White People Like” dealt with the trend pretty humorously (here) and Treehugger declared “It’s Official: Green is Sexy.” According to the Treehugger article, "Close to nine in 10 women (88 percent) say they’d rather chat up someone with the latest fuel-efficient car versus the latest sports car,” and, “Eighty percent of American car buyers would find someone with the latest model fuel-efficient car more interesting to talk to at a party than someone with the latest model sports car." So there’s no doubt hybrids are trendy, the question is why.

A few thoughts on some possible reasons people love hybrids:

· Hype surrounding global warming/pollution: All over the media there are examples of global warming and pollution. Then you step outside and its over 90 degrees, code red air quality, and overall just stiflingly hot and humid. This makes it difficult not think about your own personal effect on the environment.

· Conspicuous consumption: Hybrid models still cost more (about $2500-3000) than their non-hybrid counterparts.

· Hard to get: In many places there is a waiting list or limited number of hybrids available for sale. The laws of supply and demand dictate that this scarcity makes hybrids even more desirable.

· Gas Prices: Gas near me reached as high as $4.24 at the end of last week! Who doesn’t want a car that needs gas half as often?

· New and Exciting: Hybrids have only been offered in the United States for about ten years, so there is still a buzz of excitement and mystery surrounding them.


But I think the bottom line is that hybrids allow their owners to feel as though they are doing something for the environment without actually having to make any huge sacrifices or alter any of their already-set routines. And I think that’s part of what we as a company are selling; we offer all the same services without skimping on any of them, but we are also environmentally conscious.