I think some of your claims may not stand up well under careful
analysis.  I'll make just one point here:  the total miles driven is not
the consequence of owning two vehicles, but the consequence of trips
taken.  Any taken by the more efficient vehicle are not taken by the
less efficient one (the vanagon).  I do have a vanagon (a camper).  If I
did not have it, I would pollute less.  But if I had only it, I would
pollute more.  My alternative to having it would not involve obtaining
another equally polluting vehicle.  I would just have one less vehicle.
I agree that manufacturing and maintenance include environmental costs.
So does disposal to some degree, though materials can be reclaimed (for
automobiles a good bit is), thus saving mining costs.

On Wed, Sep 30, 2009 at 1:45 PM, Michael Snow wrote:

> What is wrong with driving a Vanagon or light truck as your only
> vehicle?
>
> I would argue that:
>
> A.  Life-cycle emissions include the total of the emissions created
> from mining, manufacturing, use, maintenance and disposal of the
> vehicle.
>
> B.  Regardless of your choice of second vehicle, there is no vehicle
> in existence (and never will be) that emits so few pollutants that the
> combined life-cycle emissions of the two vehicles are less than those
> of a single pickup or Vanagon.
>
> C.  Completely disregarding all consideration for fuel economy and
> emissions, there is no second vehicle in existence (and never will be)
> that costs so little to purchase, insure, operate and maintain, that
> will enable a lower combined operation cost than is incurred by the
> poor fuel economy of a single pickup or Vanagon.
>
> Drive what meets your needs, but understand that two vehicles are
> never less expensive than one, and the life-cycle emissions of two
> cars are never less than those of a single vehicle.  I think the Prius
> is a marvel of engineering.  However, driving a Prius or any other
> super-efficient car, as a second car, costs you more, and pollutes the
> planet more than driving only a Vanagon.
>
> --
> Michael Snow
> 1982 Westfalia 1.9TD
> http://slowmachine82.blogspot.com/