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Environmental protection groups found their nemesis in the SUV. They are getting bigger by the day, not overly efficient, and to some, they represent humanity’s unwillingness to sacrifice comfort for the planet’s survival. Some environmentalists have decided to take the fight to not only SUV owners but the SUVs themselves. The group has been deflating SUV tires in major cities worldwide. 

A gold 2017 Chevy Suburban against a white background.
2017 Chevy Suburban | Chevrolet

What is going on with deflating SUV tires?

According to CarScoops, This rash of tire deflation recently hit the town of Waterloo, Ontario, just west of Toronto. Over the weekend, residents reported 30 instances of environmentalists deflating SUV tires.

The environmental activist group, known as the “Tyre Extinguishers,” has taken credit for all of these reports. The Record, a local news outlet, claims that the group hit at least 60 SUVs the night of July 16th. 

The group places objects in the air stem so that all the air runs out. They Tweeted about this, calling it “disarming” SUVs. So far, there have been no reports of any damage, but the group does leave behind a pamphlet on the windshield explaining that SUVs are worse for the earth than other vehicles

The Tyre Extinguishers are going worldwide

We covered this story a few months ago, before the activist group spread worldwide. In May, there wasn’t much evidence that the group operated in the US or really anywhere outside of the organization’s home base, the UK. 

In only a short few months, the group has spread to not only Canada, but now reports are popping up in major U.S. cities like New York, Chicago, and San Francisco. It is important to reiterate that the group isn’t slashing tires or damaging them. Small pieces of gravel or a lentil jammed under the air stem cap is all it takes. 

What are the Tyre Extinguishers after? 

This is a typical Flat Tire, it could be caused by a puncture
Flat Tire | Shutterstock

Earlier, we mentioned that the ecoists leave little pamphlets on the SUVs they “disarm.” The pamphlet explains why their vehicle was targeted. It also reassures drivers that despite the fact that their SUV has been temporarily immobilized, they’ll have “no difficulty getting around without [their] gas guzzler, with walking, cycling, or public transport.”

This letter has now been translated into at least 10 languages and has been found in France, Sweden, and New Zealand. 

Ultimately, the Tyre Extinguishers aim to make it “impossible to own a huge polluting 4×4 in the world’s urban areas.” the Tyre Extinguishers are convinced that the prevalence of SUVs is the main factor impacting global climate change. The United Nations also recently pointed the finger at the big gas guzzlers. 

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