Richard Gray at the U.K. Telegraph reports that Sir David King, a University of Cambridge chemist, staunch global warming activist, and one of Britain’s top government scientists, gave the following advice to a woman who asked him what she could do to curb global warming:
“[S]top admiring young men in Ferraris.”
King’s larger point — that we should act individually to start a cultural shift that re-prioritizes gas guzzlers at the bottom of the desirability list — is probably valid. But broad assumptions about women liking hot cars (and the men who drive them) aside, the idea that one person’s decisions should be unrelated to his or her personal interests runs contrary to free-market models for achieving both personal and societally optimal results. In other words, trying to influence someone else’s consumer choices is far less effective than simply making those choices yourself. The woman’s goal — to reduce greenhouse gas emissions — would most efficiently be reached by taking direct action, like trading in her own gas guzzler for a hybrid, rather than indirectly signaling others to do so.
Not surprisingly, Ferrari owners are reportedly furious about King’s comment, with the Ferrari Owners Club responding that most owners of the cars are married (and thus aren’t driven to purchase them based on a desire to land women, the economics of which we’ve discussed before). In other words, they’re turning the discussion 180 degrees from King’s point, which is that individual consumer decisions can and do matter to global climate change. While King’s intentions were in the right place, he might want to rethink his methods of communication (not to mention his culturally limited decision to tell women that their biggest contribution to fighting climate change lies in encouraging men to fight climate change).
(Hat tip: Wired Blog.)
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You’d think a sports car would be lightweight and aerodynamic – which would imply good fuel efficiency.
Lo and behold, googling “lotus elise mpg” gives me numbers in the region of 40mpg combined ( http://www.elises.co.uk/models/s2/111/index.html )- which is competitive with some (admittedly poorer performing) hybrid cars ( http://www.fueleconomy.gov/feg/hybrid_sbs_cars.shtml )
Of course, a decent motorbike can get 100mpg – I wonder if King thinks women should prefer bikers?
You’d think a sports car would be lightweight and aerodynamic – which would imply good fuel efficiency.
Lo and behold, googling “lotus elise mpg” gives me numbers in the region of 40mpg combined ( http://www.elises.co.uk/models/s2/111/index.html )- which is competitive with some (admittedly poorer performing) hybrid cars ( http://www.fueleconomy.gov/feg/hybrid_sbs_cars.shtml )
Of course, a decent motorbike can get 100mpg – I wonder if King thinks women should prefer bikers?
I love the defense that Ferrari (and other fancy car) owners are married means that those same guys aren’t out trolling for a piece on the side. Just count the wedding rings (or wedding ring tans) in Chicago’s Viagra Triangle.
I love the defense that Ferrari (and other fancy car) owners are married means that those same guys aren’t out trolling for a piece on the side. Just count the wedding rings (or wedding ring tans) in Chicago’s Viagra Triangle.
To quote the previous post:
“This is why free market models fail. There’s more going on than ‘man wants nice car. woman dissuades man from buying car’. King’s comment implied that ‘man wants nice car because woman wants man with nice car and man wants woman’.” – Appetite
Actually, yes, thats what he’s implying and he’s probably got the right idea. The entire field of evolutionary psychology is based around just these sorts of notions of human nature and motivation. The problem here is not that “free markets are failing” the problem is that the market is not taking into account the externalities of the issue. You need to factor-in these externalities for the market to efficiently take account of the effects of global warming.
Ferrari’s are “bad” because they get terrible mileage and cause great amounts of pollution because of it. How do you correct this? How about a higher tax on oil per gallon at the pump? Afraid that the “poor people with huge gas-guzzling cars that drive them around the country” will be too hurt by it, then lower income taxes.
To quote the previous post:
“This is why free market models fail. There’s more going on than ‘man wants nice car. woman dissuades man from buying car’. King’s comment implied that ‘man wants nice car because woman wants man with nice car and man wants woman’.” – Appetite
Actually, yes, thats what he’s implying and he’s probably got the right idea. The entire field of evolutionary psychology is based around just these sorts of notions of human nature and motivation. The problem here is not that “free markets are failing” the problem is that the market is not taking into account the externalities of the issue. You need to factor-in these externalities for the market to efficiently take account of the effects of global warming.
Ferrari’s are “bad” because they get terrible mileage and cause great amounts of pollution because of it. How do you correct this? How about a higher tax on oil per gallon at the pump? Afraid that the “poor people with huge gas-guzzling cars that drive them around the country” will be too hurt by it, then lower income taxes.
The global warming cause is also an attack against pleasure, which is why it is so popular, especially in puritanical societies, among millions of people who have no clue about science. The idea that others may experience pleasure is unbearable to people of a puritan bent. The more extremist global warming activists are against smoking, tourism, having children, and many of the other pleasures of life.
I am not personally a fan of Ferraris, but they happen to be among the most technologically impressive cars ever built. A Ferrari owner deserves some recognition for his taste (and wallet). A lot of people have jobs thanks to Ferrari’s industry.
Verdict: you can easily find a less grumpy chemistry professor, but you cannot find many cars like Ferrari. Supply, demand. Therefore, request denied! bad advice, Professor!
The global warming cause is also an attack against pleasure, which is why it is so popular, especially in puritanical societies, among millions of people who have no clue about science. The idea that others may experience pleasure is unbearable to people of a puritan bent. The more extremist global warming activists are against smoking, tourism, having children, and many of the other pleasures of life.
I am not personally a fan of Ferraris, but they happen to be among the most technologically impressive cars ever built. A Ferrari owner deserves some recognition for his taste (and wallet). A lot of people have jobs thanks to Ferrari’s industry.
Verdict: you can easily find a less grumpy chemistry professor, but you cannot find many cars like Ferrari. Supply, demand. Therefore, request denied! bad advice, Professor!