Prominent Environmentalist Calls the Prius “A racist hate machine of imperialist oppression”

Berkeley, CA- In an unexpected change of position today Sage Pinebrush, charter member and chief spokesperson for the environmental action group People Establishing Nature In Society, has gone from embracing the Toyota Prius as a “marvel of socially conscience engineering destined to be the last best hope for a world on the brink of utter environmental holocaust,” to denouncing it as a hoax and a “sham cooked up by greedy corporate auto manufacturers willing to prey on the good will and the humanity of those intellectually impressive and likewise enlightened persons seeking to save a world through their superior lifestyles and existences.”

This pronouncement, made early this afternoon at an impromptu press conference in front of a Whole Foods market, marks a stark contrast from one of the vehicle’s earliest supporters and a man who just last year broke the Prius land speed record -getting up to the unheard of speed of 75 miles per hour before the engines blew up- by use of an experimental fuel composed largely of hemp seed oil and his own human waste product.  Initially reluctant to elaborate on his new found views Pinebrush was eventually coaxed into better explaining his feelings on the matter and finally informed the incredulous crowd that after a careful review of all the facts in attendance he had come to the conclusion that the amount of pollution produced in the creation the lithium-ion battery that powered the car’s electric engine could only be offset by the car’s fuel efficiency if the car were driven for around 300 thousand miles.  Making such a proposition even more precarious is the fact that the lithium-ion battery has to be replaced every 100-150 thousand miles.

Pinebrush also informed the crowds of dozens that he was no longer convinced that fuel efficiency was the best way to save the environment.  In his words “See for every gallon of gas this car saves that is a gallon of gas that the Chinese can use to continue their brutal occupation of Tibet.  Therefore the Prius is, in my not inconsiderable estimation, a racist hate machine of imperialist oppression.  Spread the word.”

This prompt about face is being greeted with disparate reviews in the environmental community and the larger world at large.  Some are hailing Pinebrush as a visionary genius and a man of courage not afraid to challenge the conventional wisdom and willing to break from the status quo.  Other, more cynical, observers have suggested that the motivations might not be as altruistic as has been presented.  They note that Pinebrush is an outspoken supporter of President Buraq Obama and now that Obama owns two of his own car companies there is ample reason for famous environmentalist to slight and slander the competition.