Trevor Noah said a Southern California methane leak had destroyed the sacrifices made by Prius drivers.
The blown-out natural gas well spewed at its peak about as much harmful emissions as 7 million cars -- which made the "Daily Show" host laugh in bitter irony.
"You realize, all you L.A. people driving Priuses -- your work has been undone," Noah said. "All you managed to do is drive an ugly car."
About 2,800 families have been forced from their homes and many others have been sickened by the gas leak, which Noah blamed on a lack of government oversight.
He said the state's environmental regulations allowed SoCalGas to play "fast and loose" with safety equipment at the Aliso Canyon natural gas storage site.
"The reason SoCalGas didn't replace the safety valve is because they said it was 'not easy to find a new part,'" Noah said. "Not easy to find a new part? That's not the excuse of a multi-billion-dollar company. That's the excuse your dad gives you for why the guest toilet hasn't been fixed."
Watch the entire segment posted online by Comedy Central:
