Visual Advocacy - Hybrid Vehicles

For my visual advocacy project, I wanted to convey a message that would make any person who saw it follow my advice, which is to drive a hybrid. At first, I planned on concentrating much of the project on the environmental benefits as well as bringing about a lesser dependence on foreign oil. However, as I began to research the topic, I began to realize that for many people, the financial benefits may have a greater influence over their decision to purchase a hybrid vehicle.
A great benefit of owning a hybrid vehicle is the decreased exhaust emissions that result from decreased fuel usage. The exhausted emissions result in lower smog levels and decreased pollution of greenhouse gases. Smog levels increase due to emissions of nitric oxides (NOx) from vehicles and power plants. These chemicals contaminate the atmosphere and are associated with respiratory problems in affected populations. Emissions from automobiles also include other chemicals such as hydrocarbons, carbon monoxide, and carbon dioxide, among others. Carbon dioxide is a major cause of global warming, an issue extremely prevalent throughout the world.
I included a table that shows the emissions released by gas-powered, electric-powered, and fuel cell-powered vehicles, with the electric-powered data representative of the hybrid emissions. To visualize the actual pollution process, I included a picture of a traffic jam in order to emphasize the large amount of emissions that result from large numbers of vehicles driving throughout the day. Moreover, these emissions are given off even when their owners are sitting through these traffic jams.

Due to the major consequences these vehicle pollutants can have on the environment, it is no surprise that hybrid vehicles are part of the “green” movement. This movement involves individuals altering their behaviors or product consumption in order to prevent (or more realistically, delay) the inevitable environmental consequences that will result at the current pace that we are headed. This is one of primary reasons hybrid vehicles were created, and with the growing number of individuals around the world “going green,” hybrid vehicles are growing in popularity with every model year.
Another primary reason hybrid vehicles were developed is the need for alternative fuel sources. So much of the industrialized world today is dependent on oil that hundreds of millions of dollars are spent on oil reserves in the United States and natural disasters such as hurricanes that occur in the South can sky-rocket prices of gas in the Midwest. Hybrid vehicles allow the US to decrease this dependence until alternative fuels such as hydrogen are developed and fully established.
The reasons mentioned above are incredibly important and would help with many detrimental issues facing the world today. Unfortunately, not enough people feel they may be important enough to actually begin driving hybrids. So when I began my visual advocacy, I also made sure to mention an issue that individuals would be concerned about: the financial benefits. With the improved fuel economy that a hybrid vehicle brings, around 60 mpg, it requires much less gas, saving consumers hundreds of dollars a year. After all, you cannot have reduced emissions without consuming a smaller amount of gas.

The picture I included was one we see every day – the sign at a gas station. Instead of including one with the actual gas prices, it simply depicted what we perceive these prices to be costing us: an arm and a leg. With a great amount of Americans switching from larger vehicles to smaller, more fuel efficient cars to save money, we should take into consideration the added environmental benefits of instead switching to a hybrid, which will not take away from the performance aspect of a normal vehicle. To depict this, I included pictures of luxury cars that are being offered with hybrid engines. Most individuals assume that all hybrids look like the Toyota Prius, or a golf cart for that matter. This has not been the case for a number of years; Cadillac has introduced its Escalade hybrid this year, and a future Mercedes hybrid was depicted in the powerpoint.
I think I did a good job of depicting the advantages of hybrid vehicles in my visual advocacy. I was able to emphasize what the text was saying with visual images, which is what I think the project was aimed to get us to do. The slides themselves had just a small section of color at the top but I felt it gave a natural, earthy vibe that reiterates the green advantage of hybrid vehicles. As for the information itself, I emphasized points which I feel would interest readers the most. The project was a visual advocacy, and I think to be able to persuade individuals, you must show them how they can personally benefit from their efforts to change. Hopefully, people will begin to see that a change to a hybrid vehicle does not constitute much of a change at all.