A library in Darien, CT has set aside privileged parking spaces for hybrid cars. They’ve done this in an effort to ace the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) program put in place by the Green Building Council, which certifies and ranks buildings on environmental parameters. According to the New York Times, this seemingly innocuous effort to encourage the use of hybrid cars has spawned a “fierce debate.”
Many residents of the town view the library’s move as a political statement. They say that the policy is a slap in the face of people who can’t afford expensive hybrid cars, and that it’s discriminating against those who are apathetic toward the environment. Eco-unfriendly people unite!
But really. The sign says simply that the space is for hybrid cars, but the library has posted a list of over 300 cars that may park in the spaces, based on LEED standards for low emissions. The list includes non-hybrid cars like the Ford Focus. Granted, the sign could be clearer about parking guidelines. It could read: “No parking unless your car is a –” and then proceed to list all 366 acceptable models.
The real question at hand, however, is this: ARE all cars created equal? The government doesn’t think so. After all, it has considered tax credits and other incentives to encourage people to invest in hybrids, and that acknowledges a clear preference for certain types of cars. Wastefulness of resources and increased pollution affect everyone, not only too-cool-for-the-library Hummer drivers. Anyway, Darien is a relatively small town, with a population of under 20,000 people in the year 2000. I’m sure there are other parking spaces.
All men might be created equal, but automobiles are not men, and they are not all equal. Viva la positive reinforcement, I say.
