Is it now immoral to drive my car?

Question

Climate change is now near enough certain, and my car is contributing to potentially catastrophic environmental damage.
Considering the impact on future generations, am I - are we all - being immoral by driving our cars?

Answer 1

In more than one way, yes. The cars most of us drive add to atmospheric CO2 and as that increases, the green house effect increases. The contribution of one car is minuscule - but still a contribution.

But consider that members of industrial societies use far more energy then "less fortunate" third world countries. Therefore we contribute more than our "share" of CO2 to the atmosphere each year, simply by living our plush life styles.

You can take some comfort in the fact that in the not too distant future oil will begin to become more scarce then eventually unaffordable by most people. I've heard that most of us are young enough that we will live to see this "energy collapse".

But then, we have already done the damage. As energy gluttons we've been living an "immoral" life style for a long time. Some of us are only just realizing it.

Answer 2

I drive a 14 year old Geo Metro. Even though it is still a car, it's not a gas hog like a Hummer. The people who drive the gas hog cars are wasteful in a lot of other ways, too. They are wrapped up in conspicuous consumerism and they just take no responsibility for being stewards to the Earth. You cannot buy a Hummer and in any way justify that vehicle in the face of what is going on. We need to stop wasting everything-- fuel, water, resources, landfill, etc.

Answer 3

The only way to stop global warming is to have a gigantic nuclear war, thus causing a nuclear winter to balance out the climate change caused by warming. It's unethical not to nuke Iraq, other Islamic countries, and North Korea off the face of the earth.

Answer 4

According to these wacko scientists, they say it is to late to do anything now. Just drive the car and enjoy your life, who knows, maybe that volcano in Yellowstone National Park will erupt, or a meteoroid will hit earth killing mankind. Quit worrying about this global warming BS.

Answer 5

if every single person stopped driving their cars today, the global warming effect and ozone decay would still have the same effect on the earth in the same ammount of time as if we continued to drive cars. the damage is already done from all of the years and years of pollution. hope this helps. good luck.

Answer 6

are we talking about CO2 emissions? forget about driving a car, just quit breathing and don't think about ever passing wind... that's immoral.

i hope all those future generations are brought up in homes with both fathers and mothers who were married before having kids... maybe people with no morals deserve to live a world of consequences.

if we didn't have cars, would that make us moral? no.

Answer 7

Feeling guilty does not help any cause..... positive actions are necessary.... not driving our cars would only be a negative action..... we ought to know better than that... our scientists should be made to spend all their time and efforts to find a solution to this higher priority issue rather than making more powerful weapons or spaceships!!

Answer 8

Not immoral exactly, but driving more than you have to is irresponsible.

Answer 9

Your primary assumption is not a scientific fact and is, in fact, under a great deal of scientific challenge. Descartes taught us to challenge our assumptions. Have your challenged yours?

Answer 10

Yes probably so, but as long as it won't impact the world in my lifetime i don't care!!