jimb said:
Seifflare said:
the dye used to make leather is harmful to the environment. im glad the prius doesnt offer it
Are you for real? :shock:
I'll note the 2004 Toyota Prius Green Report (life cycle assessment)
that is here:
http://www.toyota.co.jp/en/k_forum/tenji/pdf/pgr_e.pdf
(you'll need to download the Japanese fonts for your PDF reader in order
to read it, but the entire document is written in English.) Over the
vehicle's lifetime, it's meant to be a low-emission vehicle. In CA (and
states that follow the CA emissions rules, currently MA, ME, NY, and VT)
the 2004 Prius qualifies as a AT-PZEV (alternative technology - partial
zero emission vehicle), which means that it not only meets the SULEV
standard, but also emits zero evaporative emissions, and has a longer
emissions warranty. SULEV is about 90% cleaner emissions than the minimal
LEV sold in CA.
http://www.driveclean.ca.gov/en/gv/faq/index.asp#2
In such an environmentally friendly car, why would someone do such a
non-environmentally friendly thing as getting leather seats?
Perfectly good seatcovers are taken off of the Prius, most likely thrown
out, to add the leather.
A larger land mass is needed (and resulting extra pesticides and farm
equipment use) to feed the cow which makes the leather, as opposed to just
using the plant material to make the original seating.
Then there's the runoff and all the nasty chemicals from the leather
tanning industry... And a tanned hide usually doesn't biodegrade as
quickly as a non-tanned hide.
Also, there's the unfortunate death of a cow to make a (uncomfy to me)
leather seat... Sure, a cow produces methane and CO2, but so do
humans...
some resources:
http://www.cowsarecool.com/environment.asp
http://www.peta.org/factsheet/files/Fac ... .asp?ID=58
http://www.tve.org/ho/doc.cfm?aid=899&lang=English
http://www.idausa.org/facts/leatherfacts.html
http://www.wri.org/wr-98-99/impacts.htm
http://www.nobull.net/CattlemenLegal/ne ... estig.html
(Note, Toyota doesn't offer leather seats on the Prius. If you get a Prius with leather seats, it was an aftermarket installation, either at the port of entry, the dealer, or some outside shop you hired... )