I’m having a dilemma - one I thought I’d never face. 

I want a hybrid vehicle.  It’s part of who I want to be and how I want to express myself as an environmentalist.  Soon, my vehicle will not be staying together terribly well, and it is an opportunity to trade in for a better, greener vehicle.

But I can’t decide.  A year ago, there wouldn’t have been a question: I wanted a Toyota Prius.  Hands down.  It’s a roomy mid-sized car that’s been around for 10 years and everyone I’ve spoken to LOVES theirs.  I mean, how could you not love it?  Just take a look at it!

Today, I am not as sure that a Prius will serve my needs.  Today, given the things I want to do (camp, go on road trips cross country, cart around a couple kids someday, do bellydance gigs) it seems like a Ford Escape Hybrid is what I would want.  It’s got more space for supplies and the junk I’ll need to cart around on these trips.

This makes me feel badly, however.  I feel like I should not be giving into the idea of “bigger is better”.  And I’d only really need the Escape on trips for camping, dance seminars, events with a number of people involved - I wouldn’t need it to get to work, or go to the grocery.  In fact, I probably don’t even need a vehicle at all for local stuff - I could walk or ride a bus.  But for the larger, longer, involving more stuff trips (specifically the camping), the Prius probably wouldn’t cut it for carrying the stuff I would need.

Furthermore, aren’t SUVs a part of the problem?  Isn’t the idea of a hybrid SUV like a low-fat brownie? The brownie isn’t good for you, but at least it isn’t as bad for you as it once was.  I don’t want to be a part of the problem, a neon-green environmentalist.  I want to make a difference with my choices.

There’s the other hand that says - by buying the Escape Hybrid, I am telling Ford that green is good, and they will pump more dollars into green technology, right?  Or am I saying - Hey, I don’t really want to compromise, so keep giving me these half-hearted attempts to make me feel better about my choices, but not really make any dramatic change?

Don’t get me wrong - moving in a green direction is better for everyone, all around.  All of the vehicles should be getting this sort of mileage, if not better.  We should have electric options, fuel-cell options - whatever will make a difference.

But I don’t want to be one of those people who buys a hybrid SUV and feels I’ve done enough to better the earth. 

But I also can’t be someone who lives entirely off a bicycle and mass transit (at least the crappy version that Milwaukee offers) - I will need a car of some sort that can carry stuff.

There has to be a way to balance this situation - can I only use the Escape for those long trips, and have no other car? Can I sacrifice in other ways in my life to ensure I’m living as green as possible?  Needless to say, I have a lot of green hope, but not a whole lot of green action.

And one of the best ways to be actively green is to not purchase more than you need.

There are probably some ways to get around this, but I’m not sure what they are yet.  If you have any ideas or suggestions for how to deal with occasional SUV-sized travel needs, but otherwise live in a small to mid-sized car world, let me know.