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'If we get one person not to drive an SUV, we have made a difference.'Ī national, interfaith evangelical group has added another twist to the SUV discourse. 'We feel that if we galvanize a movement and keep a discussion going, if we make it uncool to drive SUVs, then we are doing our part in the fight,' he said. The tickets, which can be downloaded from the Internet, enumerate the group's litany of bad things about SUVs. 'We know that we're going up against the all-powerful Detroit, but we feel we're making a difference,' said John Tagiuri, a founder of the group Earth on Empty, based in Cambridge, Mass., which has ticketed more than 1 million SUVs in 500 American cities. Other organizations say they are witnessing a steady increase in anti-SUV activism. Ads for the aptly named Mini Cooper promise 'The SUV backlash officially starts now.'

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Supporters carried signs reading, 'If war is inevitable, start drafting SUV drivers now.' A Ford Explorer was decorated with an oil drum, oil cans and slogans reading, 'Axle of Evil.'Įven some carmakers have taken advantage of the sentiment, positioning themselves as folks to SUVs. The group, calling themselves Environmentalists Against the War, was composed of organizations such as the Sierra Club, Greenpeace and Working Assets. On Saturday, owners of more than 100 alternative fuel vehicles joined bicyclists and pedestrians in creating a side show to the anti-war rally. What if I need to go off-road? I helped teach kids around the world to hate America. I helped our enemies develop weapons of mass destruction. So what if it gets 11 miles to the gallon. One ad begins, 'I helped hijack an airplane. Last week, a group based in Hollywood and led by political columnist Arianna Huffington began airing in-your-face television ads that equate SUV driving with supporting terrorism. A posting on the group's Web site said the attack targeted SUVs in an effort to 'remove the profit motive from the killing of the natural environment.' The alleged target of the radical Earth Liberation Front. The ubiquity makes Marsden think of the SUV as the modern-day Conestoga wagon, used by American settlers to move families and freight cross country.Ĭonservationists and other critics have long asserted that the SUV guzzles gas, hogs the road, endangers other drivers, accelerates global warming and is more likely to be used for latte runs than rugged road trips or family relocation.Īdding to that more familiar anti-SUV refrain are new and unexpected voices and levels of dissent.Įarlier this month, a Ford truck dealership in Pennsylvania was set on fire, High profit margins on sales have lured even high-end carmakers such as Porsche, BMW and Mercedes into the SUV market. I'm not the enemy.'įor better or worse, SUVs have become the most popular vehicle on America's streets. People should take a step back and reason. There are ways to be economical about gas while driving a truck or SUV. There are the SUV drivers who have big families and can't fit everyone into small cars. 'Rather than bashing SUV drivers and trying to create new enemies, let's educate people as to alternatives to SUVs,' said Tuider, who hopes to one day buy a hybrid car. She is an environmentalist and a peace activist. She uses it for commuting, hauling and heading off-road.

There also is a practical connection, SUV drivers say.Ĭristin Tuider, who lives in Santa Rosa and works at Sonoma State University, owns a 1995 Toyota 4Runner. SUVs give you freedom, in a psychological sense, one that isn't necessarily rational, but is emotional.' American automotive life is about mobility and freedom. 'What a lot of protesters are missing is that Americans have a deep psychological connection to the SUV. 'The backlash we're seeing is remarkable and more intense than before, and some of the innuendos are just awful, but sales are still strong and are not turning around,' said Michael Marsden, a professor at Eastern Kentucky University who teaches an honors course on the automobile in American culture. GM's latest addition to the SUV market, the three-ton all-terrain Hummer 2, added nearly $1 billion to the company's sales.įord last year sold more Explorer SUVs than Honda sold Accord sedans, and Explorer sales were bumper-to-bumper with the best-selling Toyota Camry. General Motors sold more than 1.2 million SUVs last year, setting an all- time record.