How much are you willing to spend to reduce your carbon footprint? Apparently, the extra $10,000 for an electric car crosses the line for most people and so the new lines of vehicles haven’t taken off as well as people had hoped.

With gasoline prices fairly stable these days it’s hard for people to justify the extra cost, especially since it comes along with some added inconvenience as well. The two major models are the Nissan Leaf and the Chevrolet Volt and they each have their issues. There are only a few places to recharge the Leaf, which means you’re limited to 73 miles before you have to be back at home. The Volt only goes 25 miles but can then switch to gas. However, there have been some safety concerns.

A lot of the buyers so far have been real electric car enthusiasts, people ideologically choosing them rather than those deciding that it makes financial sense. They, along with the car’s makers, aren’t ready to stop hoping yet. They say that these are just growing pains and things will pick up.

As consumers, we often end up choosing between what’s best for us as individuals as opposed to what’s best for mankind or the environment. What we buy, where and who we buy from are all political statements, not to mention statements about the cost we’re willing to pay for our beliefs.

That’s a lot of pressure. Add to it the fact that we’re inevitably being judged on our possessions. Even for a successful career, we need good looking clothes, business cards and websites, all of which cost money. To start raising your costs in order to do the best thing for the earth and society takes a serious commitment.

Like any commitment to a New Year’s resolution, it all comes down to balance. If I commit to eat only fruits and veggies for the whole year, I’ll fail three days in. But if I commit to eat salad a few times a week and to limit fries and ice cream to special occasions, there’s a good chance I’ll make it.

So now the question is, does an electric car count as once a week salad or a lifetime ban on chocolate? And I think that’s a very personal question.