Gunnar Nelson, Chapter 3, Question #2

A topic in chapter 3 that is most applicable and involving myself personally, is Wheelans argument about fuel emissions and large SUV's. In my family, trucks have always found a use. My family, as well as the country use trucks for multiple different uses. I do not believe that trucks are such a significant negative externality that Wheelan perceives it to be. 

In this chapter, Wheelan is argueing from one side of the debate. I agree with the facts regarding the gas mileage of trucks, and the "gas guzzlers" that they are. However I believe that trucks are of a necessity on multiple levels. Agriculturally trucks are needed to haul and tow, you simply cannot get the towing capacity that you need from a Honda Civic. Trucks are a necessity for material transportation, from food, to animals, to industrial products trucks are needed, and we have not found a substitute for these needs. On the road, trucks are safer on snow, give more security to the modern craziness on highways which provides protection for the driver. 

Wheelan proceeds to talk about substitutes for trucks, such as solar powered technology. From what I have heard and researched, solar technology would be a very expensive "investment." I believe that increasing Co2 in our atmosphere is a severe problem, but our focus should be allocated more significantly to power- house corporations that send even greater amounts of gases into the air. Current day, we do not have the liberty of simply switching to an electric truck, and I believe until that day, our focus should be directed to another problem.