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Hybrids Hurting The Earth?

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Matt Frey Ms. deGozzaldi 8th Grade 6/21/17 Hybrids Hurting the Earth? Hybrids are deservingly known for their fuel economy, a 2016 Prius c can get up to 50 MPG (FuelEconomy.gov, US Department of Energy). They are also known for being kind to the environment: Toyota advertises the Prius c, as seen below, as an “everyday eco fun sized for the city” on their website (Toyota, toyota.com/priusc). In Kia’s Super Bowl LI commercial for their new hybrid crossover, the Niro, they use the tagline: “it’s hard to be an eco warrior, but it’s easy to drive like one.” Hybrid owners agree with this; they can be seen driving around with proud smiles on their faces, knowing that they are saving the earth. But they have likely done little research, because …show more content…

There is an explosion just as the piston is at its highest point, and the volume of the chamber is its lowest. This phase is called combustion. The force of this explosion pushes the piston down, and then up again as a second valve opens, pushing the exhaust out and into the air. This final phase is called exhaust. As the piston moves down again, the cycle repeats. Now, in a hybrid car, there is a battery assisting, so that the cylinders have to do less work, and consequently use less fuel. A Prius has only 84 horsepower without its electric battery, and wouldn’t even be able to start! (Regular Car Reviews, Youtube) But this battery isn’t all good, which brings us to the first problem with these hybrid cars. The batteries are made from metals like cobalt, lithium, and nickel. The nickel is mined at a damaging mine in Ontario (Demorro, NCPA 2007) and some of the other metals can come from unstable countries around the world, says Anderson in “5 Reasons Not to Buy a Hybrid.” He also mentions that increasing dependence on, well, undependable countries couldn’t help us. Not to mention, all of these materials are destructive to the environment to mine. Another problem is the emissions of harmful substances besides just exhaust. “Nickel-hydride batteries are responsible for higher sulfur oxide emissions, roughly 22 pounds (10 kilograms) per hybrid compared with 2.2 pounds (about 1 kilogram) for a conventional vehicle” (HowStuffWorks:

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