Trucks (and actually all personal cars) smack everyone in the face because they kill 10s of thousand of people every year, they fill our shared precious air with obnoxious pollutants, and they contribute to many people's lack of opportunity by being self-imposed financial shackles.
But this is just nonsense. They do not, and nor do their owners. The worst truck in the world is a much cleaner per KW of a machine than a standard coal fired power plant, and that is likely what charges up the average Nissan Leaf.
No, that's a myth.
Well, I don't give the Union of Concerned Scientists the level of faith that article implies, but it is good to know it's not as bad as it seems. Particularly since I've seen coal plants in operation, and that is some truly destructive stuff.
You actually are smacking other people in the face with your truck.
I don't own a truck, but I still think this is hyperbole. Trucks do have a place in our economy, MMM's complaint with them is that they are often chosen for reasons other than work. Your argument might have more validity when there is an electric alternative for real working trucks and vans in the market.
I definitely think that most peoples qualms with trucks are limited to the people who drive them for the purposes of trying to demonstrate their masculinity (the larger the truck, the larger the qualm), not people who legitimately use them for work (on more than an occasion). Most people use work as an excuse to own a truck but they could easily use as small car to make it to their job site where it is parked all day.
People own trucks for a lot of reasons.
In a free country, each person gets to make his own choice, regardless of whether someone else approves of that choice.
I drive a truck largely because I'm a big guy. I like the way it sits and drives. I'd rather have the shoulder room and be sitting up than slumped down, squeezed into the tiny cockpit of my wife's Beemer.
I have also found that it's a Hell of a lot easier to haul around 5-10 dog crates in the back of my pickup than trying to shove them into my wife's Beemer (maximum capacity: 2-3 crates, and a PITA to even fit those in, to say nothing of the mess). I do a lot of volunteer work for animal rescue agencies, and trust me, son, your Prius ain't going to get the job done.
I'm an engineer/MBA, not a math major, but I'm quite sure I can do enough math to realize that one trip in my truck is more economical (to say nothing of the time saved), than 5 trips in a 2 seater Beemer/Prius/whatever.
Plus, my wife get's pissed off every time I have to knock out the back window of her Beemer when I'm hauling a load of lumber from Home Depot.
And it's really a bitch to help someone move all their stuff to a new house/apartment if I'm driving a Prius.
Ever tried to haul around a couple of hundred campaign signs/stands in a Prius? Neither have I, my truck works a lot better.
In other words, what I'm telling y'all is that I'm more qualified to decide what is best for me than than some self appointed know-it-all decider of all things good and grand.
See, that's what freedom is all about. We all get to decide for ourselves. Even if others are smug and consider themselves superior (and they rarely are), they don't get to make that call.
I don't need my mother to tell me what to do. I don't need government to tell me what to do.
And I sure as Hell don't need any self appointed enviro weenie know-it-all to tell me what to do.
FWIW, I'll bet my environmental footprint is VASTLY smaller than that of most of the smug enviro weenie Prius driving know-it-alls, despite my driving a truck.
Just a side note: Driving a 20 mpg truck 2000 miles per year does LESS environmental damage than driving a 50 mpg Prius 12000 miles per year. Seriously- do the math. It's not about what vehicle you choose, it's far more about what lifestyle you choose.
And btw, buying a lot of CRAP (filling your house with clothes, furniture, toys, shoes, whatever) does far more damage to the environment than driving a truck. I'm always amazed at enviro weenies who drive a Prius (so they can feel superior), but spend, spend, spend on piles of consumer crap packaged in plastic, without giving it a thought. To say nothing of jaunting around the world on expensive vacations.
What morons, that "lifestyle choice" is far more damaging to the environment than driving a truck will ever be...
End of rant.