Illustration by Cody Angell

Gas prices are soaring in Tucson and across the nation. Just last Wednesday, the Arizona Daily Star reported that the average unleaded price had reached $1.64 per gallon, compared to only $1.34 in January. One would imagine that with rising prices, Americans would be looking for more fuel-efficient cars, but it just doesn't seem to be the case.

While environmentalists continue to insist we have the technology to build cars that could get 100 miles per gallon, Ford decided to roll out its Explorer XLT instead last November, which barely gets 11 miles to the gallon. Indeed, Toyota and Honda ÷ both Japanese car companies ÷ have put forth the only serious attempts at producing hybrid, ultra-fuel-efficient cars for the public.

In January, a group called Americans for Fuel Efficient Cars launched the Detroit Project ad campaign designed to discourage consumers from purchasing sport utility vehicles, persuade American car manufacturers to produce more fuel-efficient vehicles, and pressure lawmakers to approve stricter fuel efficiency requirements for SUVs.

Reminiscent of the anti-drug public service ads following Sept. 11 that connected drugs to terrorism, the Detroit Project ads make similar claims linking SUVs to terrorism.

In one ad, a female SUV owner says, "I helped hijack an airplane."

"I helped our enemies develop weapons of mass destruction," a man follows.

"I sent our soldiers off to war," says another.

The ad goes on to show SUV owners giving excuses for driving gas-guzzlers. "What if I need to go off road?" says the woman.

"Everyone has one," the man said.

Another man ended by saying, "I don't even know how many miles it gets to the gallon."

Another Detroit Project ad shows a man they call "George" filling up his SUV at a gas station. A young girl's voice says, "These are the countries where the executives bought the oil that made the gas that George bought for his SUV," as the camera pans across a map of the Middle East. As the camera switches to pictures of terrorist training camps, the girl says, "And these are the terrorists who get money from those countries every time George fills up his SUV"

At the end of the ad, the words, "Oil money supports some terrible things. What kind of mileage does your SUV get?" appear across the screen.

Unfortunately, these pleas for better fuel efficiency to reduce our dependence on foreign oil are falling on deaf ears at America's car manufacturers.

Eron Shosteck, a spokesman for the Alliance of Automobile Manufacturers, was quoted on Jan. 7 in the New York Times as saying, "[The Detroit Project's] opinion is out-voted every year by Americans who buy SUVs for their safety, comfort and versatility," and went on to note that SUVs account for nearly 21 percent of the market.

Perhaps the popularity of SUVs is precisely the reason the Detroit Project needs to get its message out to the public. Sadly, some television stations are refusing to run these ads, including an ABC affiliate in New York. Wouldn't it be interesting if television stations refused to run anti-drug commercials because it is a "hot-button issue?"

We live in an age of freedom of speech only if the people who own the airwaves aren't in bed with the people who are being spoken out against.

So far, the Detroit Project ads have not made it to the Tucson market, although they may show up on Tucson airwaves if they are successful elsewhere. Nonetheless, the message for SUV owners across the nation should remain: Driving gas-guzzlers not only threatens the environment and local air quality, but it supports terrorism. Despite what the Bush administration would have one believe, the most patriotic thing Americans can do in this time of crisis is not put an American flag on their SUV, but trade it in for a vehicle that gets better gas mileage.

Not all vehicles that get less- than-optimal gas mileage are unnecessary. Some people own trucks who use them regularly, and others own minivans and fill every seat. However, Ford Excursions don't fall into this category. Most SUVs sold in America don't seat as many people as the average minivan, but get far worse gas mileage and cannot carry non-passenger cargo as well as trucks do.

Controversial as they may be, the Detroit Project ads make a valid point, especially as gas prices reach all-time highs and war looms on the horizon in a region that supplies oil to the world.