A climate activist group says that it’s going to make driving an SUV in city centers more difficult even if the vehicle in question is electric
7 hours ago
Environmental activists go to all sorts of lengths to bring awareness to their cause. In the case of one group in the UK, that means deflating tires on SUVs. Evidently, the group doesn’t discriminate and will supposedly flatten tires on electric cars like the Tesla Model X. Interestingly, it doesn’t appear to have considered all of the additional outcomes as a result of its actions.
The group in question calls itself the “Tyre Extinguishers” and says that it makes it “impossible to own an SUV in the world’s urban areas.” It goes on to say that it does this “for climate, health, (and) public safety.” Notably, there’s no question that pollution caused by combustion cars has a negative effect on health.
Perhaps that explains why the group’s flyers appear to harbor a distinct animosity toward “gas guzzlers.” However, somewhat ironically, one of the vehicles they allegedly vandalized in a Clifton neighborhood in Bristol, UK, happened to be a Tesla. They deflated the electric SUV‘s tires and left the same flyer on the windshield. This leaflet, as noted by the BBC, bore the title “Attention: Your gas guzzler kills” and included the following message, among other things:
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“We have deflated one or more of your tyres. We did this because driving around in your SUV vehicle has huge consequences. SUVs are the second largest cause of rise in CO2 emissions over the past decade, more than the aviation industry. SUVs cause more air pollution in your neighborhood than smaller cars. SUVs are also more likely to kill people in collisions”.
Read: Climate Activists Protest By Sinking Vehicle Parts At The Munich Motor Show
The owner conveyed to the BBC that he found it “somewhat comical” but also experienced a sense of feeling “slightly violated.” He added that, “It’s ironic because I was attempting to make an environmentally responsible choice by purchasing an electric car. It’s absurd and quite inconvenient. I understand the motivation behind [climate activism], but I fail to see the purpose of this.”
For its part, the group told the BBC that hybrids and electric cars are fair game since “there are not enough rare earth metals to replace everyone’s car and the mining of these metals causes suffering.” In addition, they called out the “danger to other road users” and even mentioned the pollution produced by tires and brake pads. What’s strange about that though is that by deflating, and potentially destroying a tire, the activists actually end up propping up the tire business a bit.
More: Climate Activists Deflate Hundreds Of SUV Tires To Make Vehicles ‘Impossible To Own’
On top of that, one would think that targeting an electric vehicle only muddles the water when combustion SUVs aren’t exactly hard to find. Nevertheless, this move makes it harder to differentiate between whether this group wants to protest climate change caused by vehicles or they want to target road safety. Both are sincere concerns but how one goes about addressing them determines their level of success. This seems like a clear miss.