I live in Dublin’s commuter belt, just off the M11 in Co Wicklow. Whenever I have to take the tractor onto the road in the morning or in the evening, I’m guaranteed to annoy some drivers in a hurry.
here are five gas stations in just over a mile, along with numerous coffee stops for commuters to fuel up.
On a dark, wet evening last week, the high street in Ashford was blocked when one of the garages started selling fuel at 5c/litre cheaper than the others.
Commuters from Wicklow and Wexford queued for hours to take advantage of the reduced fare. With the engines running and the lights and heating on I wondered how much of the €3.00 (60lx 5c/l) cost reduction they were actually saving and what emissions were being produced while the engines were consuming fuel that went nowhere.
Stuck in the middle of the village with my tractor and bale trailer, I couldn’t help but admire the crowd and array of new and near-new cars and jeeps around me.
The government has set a target of having one million electric cars on Irish roads by 2030, but for non-electric cars, brand and image are key factors when people choose a model.
Color is often more important than fuel economy, and parking for two cars is standard in the newer housing developments. With our increasing prosperity, conversations about miles per gallon have no longer remained important.
In the June 2022 PWC Global Consumer Insights Pulse survey, 75 percent of Irish people said rising food prices were the biggest influence they had when shopping.
The global figure was 65pc. This shows how willing Irish consumers are to go to great lengths in search of perceived savings.
The problem for farmers and food producers is not that consumers don’t have enough money to buy quality food, but that they are prioritizing spending on non-food items.
For many Irish people, cars are a status symbol; Fuel economy isn’t an issue as long as they look good.
Traditional agriculture and food production have fared poorly in the environmental debate.
Producers are consistently in a defensive position and will now need to make significant structural changes to meet the agreed 25% emissions target.
Many consumers are very aware of the environmental impact of food and food production. And they are often more willing to believe the claims of highly processed foods made by large multinational companies than conventional foods made by family farms.
The same focus on environmental sustainability is often absent in consumer attitudes towards cars and their use, as well as international travel and entertainment.
Climate change seems best solved by someone else doing the heavy lifting.
The auto and oil industries have been very adept at their lobbying and marketing, anticipating environmental challenges before taking action.
Even the high-profile Volkswagen emissions scandal failed to dampen consumer demand for stylish, image-building cars.
Having a car with an up-to-date number plate is still important to many people who spend a large part of their week stuck in traffic.
Angus Woods is a drywall builder in Co Wicklow
https://www.independent.ie/business/farming/comment/why-is-food-production-always-in-the-firing-line-when-consumers-are-so-blase-about-emissions-from-their-cars-42191735.html Why is food production always the focus when consumers are so indifferent to their car emissions?
