- First, a Prius costs more.
- Second, there are 30 extra pounds of copper and 22 extra pounds of nickel in a Prius compared to a ... well, Baldwin doesn't say. I'm assuming he means compared to a non-hybrid vehicle.
Baldwin's weakest argument is this: "The hybrid's steep price tag is a signal that, directly or indirectly, it consumes a lot of the earth's resources". This reasoning can be dismissed with any one of the following names: Louis Vuitton, Gucci, Armani. Expensive usually mean lots of money was spent on advertising, not that there is any inherent value in the product. I thought Forbes understood economics. They certainly don't get green.
Update: yesterday I was able to read the article on Forbes. Today there seems to be a free subscription required page up. Is anyone else having trouble reading the original?
[Source: Forbes via http://www.autobloggreen.com]