The answer is a Yes and a No.Depends on from where you are looking at the issue.

Some developed countries like Germany scrap and recycle cars in good working condition.This is done so as to not pollute the environment with their below average performance on the road as the logistics of transporting them to developing countries is too expensive. In this regard, the actions are seen as eco-friendly. This is w.r.t fuel efficiency.

But some people feel that destroying such cars in good working condition is a crime against the environment as the cars can be perfectly used, especially in developing countries. This is w.r.t car itself.

Its is a catch 22 situation for developed countries because scrapping the cars invites criticism, but not scrapping them will shrink the consumer market for their cars in the developing countries. So they choose the Devil's alternative by scrapping the cars and building new cars again.

But soon this will change as developing counties will catch up on the same technology and then start demanding more for raw material exports to export dependent developed countries as their own domestic market needs the resources.

Focusing on the rational use of energy: it is right for scrapping cars to energy cost and environmental impact caused?

Considering both ethics and rational energy use, the moral and rational way is to not destroy them. But profits count over morals in business considering the competition. And for developed countries, its all about business first. Diamler had a Green Car program which was scrapped some years later because in the company's words "Green doesn't sell". Everyone knows whats right, but cannot do right. This is not a scientific dilemma but a moral and ethical one. To ethical researchers it matters, but where research is overshadowed by business, ethics take a back seat. So developed countries use a lot of double speak to survive, very well knowing whats right but bowing to the bottom line of economics. Its a case of Mind Vs Heart, Profits Vs Morals, Matter Vs Spirit.

At our current stage of human evolution, we have not yet realized that ethical is sustainable. No wonder developed countries are known as "materially developed". and have problems with obesity. Too much Matter, too little Heart.

Please refer to my posts on Technology Vs The Evolution of Consciousness.

https://www.researchgate.net/post/Is_Technology_the_answer_to_Human_Sustainability_or_the_Evolution_in_Human_Consciousness_to_higher_states

and my posts in the Spirituality thread.

https://www.researchgate.net/post/What_is_the_best_scale_questionnaire_to_measure_spirituality

Hope this helps.

Out of ethics, I understand that the general problem of researchers should be: how do to achieve greater global environmental sustainability.

The ONLY way to become sustainable is to be Sustainable myself, in THOUGHT,WORD & DEED.

"Be the change you want to see in the world".-Gandhi

In a big hall of people, if everyone shouts "Silence! Silence!" , there will be anything BUT silence. There will be silence only when I am silent.

Likewise, there will be sustainability only when I am sustainable.

The answer lies in the Evolution of Consciousness, not more technology or more business.