I loved the opposing views from Rogers Rabbits and Ian McLean in last week's The Weekend Sun. I too feel the greenies among us are a tad condescending, sometimes ill-advised, not to mention hypocritical.

For example, the development of hybrid cars, like the Prius, seems a step in the right direction. However, do the greenies stop to consider where the raw materials for their batteries come from?

Open cast mining in many cases, which is arguably more environmentally damaging than oil production, considering the material is sometimes flown between countries during the manufacturing process.

How would they feel if we tried mining for nickel, the main material, in this country?
What about when the battery's life is over? It has to be flown - a massive carbon footprint - to another country for recycling. Well-known Greenie and ex-Beatle Paul McCartney almost refused the Prius given to him because the carbon footprint created in getting the car to him was more than the car would eliminate in its lifetime. And guess what, hybrid cars still require: oil-based products to operate. So you might argue their production doubles the negative environmental impact.

Greenies, if you own a dog, it has a larger carbon footprint than a four-wheel-drive SUV due to its food, medicine and sundry accessory production. Are you going to get rid of your dog? I don't think so.

Greenies harp on about this and that in relation to the environment - and while I support the basic concept of preservation, I'm wary of Greenist theories until all the facts are available and the concept fully investigated and proven.

Green hearts are in the right place, but not always their heads. And for that reason, I cannot trust their judgement.

Stu Donnaghy, Tauranga City.