Agas and Bentleys are the best long-term Green solutions, according to Prof Andrew Price in his new book Slow-Tech.
Prof Price, professor of biosciences at the University of Warwick, argues that the gas-guzzlers, dismissed by environmentalists, should be reconsidered, as they are ‘robust’ and will last for a lifetime.
He admits that both Agas and Bentleys are luxuries that not everyone can afford, but says that they are important long-term solutions in a world obsessed by efficiency.
Prof Price says: ‘A Formula One car now lasts just two race weekends if they are lucky. Their engines are effectively disposable. Our family has managed to keep the same Bentley on the road for 80 years.
‘Their ecological footprint is far from Green. But if prolonged existence—reducing the need to scrap or recycle—and absence of electronic chips (which carry environmental costs) are considered, claims that these relics are little more than polluting monsters may be slightly wide of the mark.’
The Energy Saving Trust states that energy-consuming products use more energy during their lifetime than during their manufacture and disposal. However, Prof Price argues that campaigners fail to take into account the fact Agas need little maintenance and can heat radiators, dry clothes and last for decades.
Both Agas and Bentleys have impressive heritage. The Aga cooker was invented in 1929 by the Nobel Prize-winning Swedish physicist Dr Gustaf Dalén, and has been popularised in recent years by successful cookbooks, such as Mary Berry’s New Aga Cookbook.
Bentley Motors was founded in 1919, and became a symbol of affluence and luxury. In 2002, Bentley presented Queen Elizabeth II with an official State Limousine to celebrate the Golden Jubilee.
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