I think it’s safe to say the “Green Movement” was born the day “An Inconvenient Truth” with Al Gore came out. People are asking themselves what they could be doing to preserve our planet and are picking up on recycling, turning off the lights and reevaluating what they drive.

Many people see hybrid cars as a great solution to excessive emissions and petrol/diesel because of their great gas mileage. The most popular hybrid seems to be the Toyota Prius for its affordability, ability to seat four and an average fuel economy of around 50 mpg. That’s impressive. But are hybrids more, or even as environmentally friendly as the traditional automobile?

For starters, let’s begin with emissions. Hybrids are perceived to be some of the cleanest cars on the road, inspiring awards like “Green Car of the Year.” They do emit very few greenhouse gasses, but the amount is comparable to what a mondern, regular car releases. Every car, from Smart to Hummer, has to pass the same strict emission standards set by the EPA, the same standards a hybrid follows. Compared to hybrids, traditional cars aren’t as bad for the environment as you might think.

What gives a hybrid car its fuel economy is its lithium-ion battery or batteries. In assisting the combustion engine, batteries provide a huge boost in city fuel economy, in some cars as much as 50 percent. It also increases the highway fuel economy, but not as much.

But the eco-friendliness shouldn’t just be measured by mpg. The lifespan of a typical hybrid would be lucky to surpass 110,000 miles. A Hummer H1 (most would agree as the anti-hybrid) can easily last for as much as 500,000 miles before finally heading to a scrap yard. It just won’t die. So for every time a Hummer is sent to the junkyard, roughly five hybrids are being manufactured. Those batteries can’t really be recycled either, whereas just about the entire Hummer can be salvaged to make more car parts. That doesn’t seem too “green” does it, Toyota?

Also, all the mining for the nickel needed in these hybrid batteries is more environmentally poisonous than anything that’s ever been on the road. Some of the vehicle’s parts, as small as quarters, take something as big as a jet to bring it to the assembly plant. In fact, the Prius has parts flown in from all over the world to its final assembly plant in Japan; more trips around the world are needed again to put the final product in dealership lots.

Think of all that fuel burned on its behalf; a lot more than a Prius will ever make up for. The making and junking of a Prius is probably one of the most environmentally unfriendly things in the automotive world. So to all those people who bought one because they thought they were being “green,” think again.

There are actually regular, non-hybrid cars out there that can out-perform a Prius in fuel economy. These aren’t just go-carts with doors, either. Take the BMW 520d for instance. It runs on diesel and has a 193hp four-cylinder engine that gets an average fuel economy of 55 mpg, 5 mpg better than the Prius. But sadly, this BMW isn’t available in the U.S.

There is a little gas-miser that will most likely be coming to America thanks to a partnership with Chrysler, and that is the Fiat 500. Think the Mini Cooper, only 20 times cuter. This little squeaker can get 56 mpg (with the diesel variant).

But why does Europe seem to be so good at making cars that have such great fuel economy? It’s not that they are using magic over there, but their gasoline is between 90-95 octane where ours is between 87-93 octane. Higher octane levels increase fuel economy, increase horsepower and boast much cleaner emissions. It’s also better for a car’s engine, but it comes at a more expensive price. Even switching from 87 to 89 at the pump makes a difference.

Diesel engines have come a long way too; they’re quieter and their tailpipes no longer belch that thick, black smoke. Diesels also have 50 percent more torque and as much as 30 percent more fuel economy than unleaded engines. Diesel engines are also capable of running on nothing but used vegetable oil.

Imagine, someday filling up your diesel car at a McDonald’s on yesterday’s oil that was used to cook all those delicious fries. Not only would you helping the environment by driving a car that doesn’t run on fossil fuel, you would be assisting in the disposal of used vegetable oil.

A Hummer that runs on veggie oil is probably greener than just about anything. Safer, too.