I also drive a thirty-year-old Volvo just about every day.

To me, there is no basic contradiction in this. I maintain the car well and it passes California smog inspections readily. I recycle oil. I dispose of other hazardous materials responsibly. I intend to continue doing these things.

I therefore get very concerned whenever legislation is proposed to get "older" cars off the road. It's not mandatory (yet), but a state-supported programs exist which would pay me several hundred dollars if I sent the Volvo to the crusher.

No sale. I think driving the car is a blast, it is paid for and inexpensive to insure, and it is the foundation upon which I have built several hobbies -- not the least of which is this magazine. I just plain like it!

True, what comes out the tailpipe is not as clean as in a new car, but there are considerations beyond this. First off, the car is already built -- manufacturing a new car uses more energy and creates more pollution than driving the car for years. Secondly, it burns less fuel than today's most popular new vehicles: "sport utilities," minivans and full-size pickups.

It burns the same fuel, too. "Unleaded gas only" has been the rule in this state for a few years, and we now have the new "reformulated" gas which, supposedly, reduces carbon monoxide emissions. I've heard horror stories about this new gas rotting out fuel systems on older cars (with resulting fires), damaging motors, and the like. So far, I personally have had no problems -- I actually think the car runs better than before, but time will tell. Here's the part that burns me, though: none of this makes the air cleaner.

"Why is that?" you might well ask. "It's a pain, but I'll put up with it for the common good." Here's why -- as you may know, there is a government program which permits industrial companies to buy and sell "pollution credits." If Consolidated Sawdust invests money in cleaning up its act and produces fewer pollutants than the mandated standard, it can sell, for money, "credits" to United Toaster Ovens, which is then permitted to exceed its allotment by that amount. In short, the system is designed to meet a certain standard, not to best it.

And here's how it "trickles down" to you and me: as every year cars produce less pollution, more "credits" are made available to industry! The more we spend on new cars, smog checks and gas, the less the companies who make those cars and refine that gas have to spend on cleaning the air. Cozy, eh?

I certainly intend to continue to act in a responsible fashion towards the environment, and I urge you to do the same. I also urge you, the next time you hear of legislation affecting your Volvo, to write to your federal or state representatives and voice your opinion. And most of all: