An automobile is both one of the most convenient forms of modern transportation and one of the biggest contributors to the pollution of planet Earth. Emissions of a standard motor automobile have been linked to climate change and the types of weather based natural disasters that are becoming more and more common. Hurricane Sandy is a great example. For a city that is seemingly untouchable in terms of international business and is known to never sleep, shutting the whole thing down with just one storm is noteworthy.
With the population and heavy traffic in New York City, it has to be one of the major contributors to pollution based on the shear number of vehicles transiting it’s streets at any given moment. Edward Slinin recognizes the value of limiting that contribution by cutting by emissions. Not only is transit in a big city a serious emissions concern based on the number of vehicles but also due to the amount of time that said vehicles are allowed to idle. Slow moving or stalled traffic is a major pollution concern, and something that is not readily controlled in a standard gas engine vehicle.
However, by incorporating some 175 hybrid vehicles into his fleet, Edward Slinin has drastically reduced the amount of total emissions of his fleet. Ed Slinin’s investment in hybrid technology is not actually equated to a lucrative investment since the technology is more expensive as an initial investment that will arguably never be recovered by savings in fuel cost. What really matters is not the price at the pump, though. Even though the drivers that function as independent contractors will be benefited by lower fuel prices, the impact on the environment in a city that would otherwise just have 175 more cars emitting harmful exhaust during traffic jams is undeniable.
