[extropy-chat] Bike/Trike from hell....

[Adrian Tymes]

--- Spike <spike66 at comcast.net> wrote:
> The greens might argue that the environmentally
> correct
> thing to do is buy the econobox, saving some fuel
> even if 
> not much.  But ironically, just the opposite seems
> true, 
> for if I buy the guzzlemeister and don't drive it
> much, 
> I keep it away from some other yahoo who would drive
> it a 
> lot more.  If I buy the small, economic REO
> snorewagon, 
> I save *a little* fuel but I keep that gas sipper
> away from
> someone who would likely drive it more, causing them
> to
> buy something else that would devour more fuel. 
> Total
> fuel use is minimized if I drive the
> Bond-James-Bond-cruiser
> and the other guy gets the Fudd-Elmer-Fudd-buggy.
> 
> Is that a paradox?  Where is the flaw in my logic?  

The supply isn't fixed.  Whatever you buy, they'll
make more of.  (In fact, the unit cost of the next one
might actually be a little cheaper, since they just
use (or maybe slightly refine) the tools, techniques,
and so forth they used to make yours.  The amount of
this effect from one unit is likely immeasurably
small, but ask any car dealer and they'll agree that
prices would come way down if everyone who bought a
car over the next few years, bought exactly the same
make and model of car.  But not everyone needs or
wants exactly the same vehicle.)