An Inconvenient Truth...

[Beca]

I always ask this in enviromental debates and never get an answer.

What, exactly, is the down side of cleaning up the enviroment? Even if all the nay-sayers are right and global warming is either a myth or a natural occurance, where is the harm in cleaner air and water, and less dependance on fosil fuel?

Selfish people would have to start considering others' needs besides their own. I always think the "we are too small to make a difference" argument is SOOO silly....you know what animal RULES the jungle? The ant.

There are so many laws which keep us from being "greener". Most HOA's have rules prohibiting solar panels on homes. Of course, I think it against the law for them to do that, but in oreder for a person to put them on their houses, they will have to fight the HOA (probably in court).

I am SOOO happy about the Polar Bear. It means that the US will have to take steps to stop destroying the bear's environment....it's one way to enforce changes.

 

[Corwin12]

I'll bet the seals and fish and happy about the polar bears too.

 

[Soubrette]

I absolutely think it is in our best interest. The more the economy goes green on it's own the better. I worry about how badly it will be mucked up when governments start telling markets what to do and how. We can't make the global economy reteat of "protect" ourselves. We need to make decisions with our competitiveness in mind.

I don't know...but it's an interesting question.

One of the things I found interesting from "Who Killed the Electric Car" was the technology that GM created based on its desire to remain in the CA car market when the state passed tighter restrictions on emissions. Then the state legislature caved under the pressure from outside groups and released the restrictions, and suddenly GM pulled their support behind the program.

A lot of the European companies that are instituting greener changes are doing so based on political pressures, many of which got their start with the Kyoto treaty (which Bush pulled out of). So, I think there is something to be said for partnerships between governments, corporate interests, and consumer interest groups.

 

[reeeoga]

Selfish people would have to start considering others' needs besides their own. I always think the "we are too small to make a difference" argument is SOOO silly....you know what animal RULES the jungle? The ant.

There are so many laws which keep us from being "greener". Most HOA's have rules prohibiting solar panels on homes. Of course, I think it against the law for them to do that, but in oreder for a person to put them on their houses, they will have to fight the HOA (probably in court).

I am SOOO happy about the Polar Bear. It means that the US will have to take steps to stop destroying the bear's environment....it's one way to enforce changes.

The Polar Bear population is on the rise. How is it in danger? The problem appears to be too many of them for the food supply and they are having to go to extreams to get more. Sort of like when some areas stop Dear Hunting and the dear population exploded. The dear suffered.

 

[CheshireVal]

I always ask this in enviromental debates and never get an answer.

What, exactly, is the down side of cleaning up the enviroment? Even if all the nay-sayers are right and global warming is either a myth or a natural occurance, where is the harm in cleaner air and water, and less dependance on fosil fuel?

Because God forbid people give up their gas guzzling SUVs. I've seen enough SUV debates here to know that certain types have kind of bizarre attachments to the things. They all *NEED* them for one reason or another.

 

[Corwin12]

 

[Beca]

The Polar Bear population is on the rise. How is it in danger? The problem appears to be too many of them for the food supply and they are having to go to extreams to get more. Sort of like when some areas stop Dear Hunting and the dear population exploded. The dear suffered.

I'm not sure what you are talking about, but with the ice thinning, polar bears are drowning when they are trying to hunt. They need the ice, and we are losing large amounts of it every year.

Here's a really good link:

http://www.biologicaldiversity.org/swcbd/species/polarbear/index.html

I found this quote especially significant:

That global warming is occurring and accelerating due to man’s production of “greenhouse gases,” primarily from the burning of fossil fuels for energy, is no longer subject to credible scientific dispute. Dr. Rajendra Pachauri, the chairman of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (“IPCC”), was quoted in January, 2005 in the British Independent newspaper as stating that the world has "already reached the level of dangerous concentrations of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere" and that "[w]e are risking the ability of the human race to survive."

 

[CheshireVal]

I love my gas guzzling SUV and truck. I will not let my wife drive anything but a gas guzzling SUV. I want her to be in one of the biggest cars on the road to be safer. And if the cars get bigger, I'll buy her a bigger one. And don't give me that crap about it not being safer because If I were in a head on, I'd much rather be in an SUV that a Ford Aspire, no matter how many miles per gallon it gets.

Oh give me a break. That's the oldest (*cough* lamest *cough*) line in the book.

If it weren't for all the monster gas guzzling SUVs then people wouldn't be afraid to drive smaller cars.

Besides, you don't need to worry about being in a head on collision. Your car will roll over before it even gets that close.

 

[roger_ramjet]

I'm quite up-front about the fact that I'm not changing anything in my life due to global warming. If it does exist, I'm totally for it. I hate snow and ice!

I'll drive my SUV and play on my computer and burn my lightbulbs. We don't even turn them off when we leave rooms. House glows with wild electrical abandon!

But, if you are all that concerned about your personal energy conservation, you can switch the computer off and save even more. If you are really, truly concerned about it, that is. It'd save WAY more than a lightbulb!!!

It's a bloody good thing most people are sensible enough not to have such a terrible attitude. Pull your head in.

Unbelievable.

 

[Beca]

I love my gas guzzling SUV and truck. I will not let my wife drive anything but a gas guzzling SUV. I want her to be in one of the biggest cars on the road to be safer. And if the cars get bigger, I'll buy her a bigger one. And don't give me that crap about it not being safer because If I were in a head on, I'd much rather be in an SUV that a Ford Aspire, no matter how many miles per gallon it gets.

This is the primary reason that I HOPE gas prices go up to be equivalent to the prices in Europe. $6-7 per gallon will cure many people of their addiction to big cars. Our next "family" car will be a Prius (or maybe a Chinese hybrid if they can get thru the red tape). I recently visited Europe, where a Prius is a LARGE vehicle. If every other country in the world can do without SUV's, so can America. And, if all cars were about the same size, maybe people would drive a little more defensively and we wouldn't need the "extra protection" SUV's accord their drivers.

 

[roger_ramjet]

I love my gas guzzling SUV and truck. I will not let my wife drive anything but a gas guzzling SUV. I want her to be in one of the biggest cars on the road to be safer. And if the cars get bigger, I'll buy her a bigger one. And don't give me that crap about it not being safer because If I were in a head on, I'd much rather be in an SUV that a Ford Aspire, no matter how many miles per gallon it gets.

Yep, an SUV arms race is just what we need. Fan-bloody-tastic.

Safer my right **** cheek.

 

[rie'smom]

How many people are willing to give up their cars?
How many people are willing to drive instead of fly?
How many people are willing to give up the internet/computer?
Who wants to stop vacationing?
Who wants to take baths or cook at off hours?
Who wants to tell China and India that they too must follow "green rules"?
I could sit here and list things for hours. The point is if people are not willing to do these things, nothing wiil change much.
Guess what? Not many people are willing to give up these niceties. If you are,good but then I guess I won't know about it because you can't answer if you're not on the computer.

 

[Corwin12]

How many people are willing to give up their cars?
How many people are willing to drive instead of fly?
How many people are willing to give up the internet/computer?
Who wants to stop vacationing?
Who wants to take baths or cook at off hours?
Who wants to tell China and India that they too must follow "green rules"?
I could sit here and list things for hours. The point is if people are not willing to do these things, nothing wiil change much.
Guess what? Not many people are willing to give up these niceties. If you are,good but then I guess I won't know about it because you can't answer if you're not on the computer.

Amen, read my earlier posts on this thread and I make similar arguments/

 

[Corwin12]

 

[Cool-Beans]

Because God forbid people give up their gas guzzling SUVs. I've seen enough SUV debates here to know that certain types have kind of bizarre attachments to the things. They all *NEED* them for one reason or another.

I have no attachment. They are big and ugly. I drive it because it was important to my husband. They are EXCELLENT on the snow, but I'd rather have a regular car. When I got the first big car (I prefer the term "big car," makes me feel less like I'm driving this gigantic monster thing) I felt like a dope. But you get used to it after a while. Oh, it's more comfortable for long legs, too. (Still, would prefer a regular car.)

It's a bloody good thing most people are sensible enough not to have such a terrible attitude. Pull your head in.

Unbelievable.

As opposed to your attitude: "I'll lecture folks on energy consumption while unnecessarily burning up energy to post on Disney websites."

Hypocrite.

 

[roger_ramjet]

I'll be the one in the truck whose headlights shine over your car roof.

It's a good thing you weren't a contestant in that 'package contest' that Linda Sanchez judged recently.

 

[Liberty Belle]

I could care less if gas prices are 6-7 dollars a gallon, I can afford it. And all cars are not the same right now and as long as they aren't, I want one of the biggest. Have fun driving your prius, I'll be the one in the truck whose headlights shine over your car roof.

This is one of the rudest, most pompous things I've ever read. It makes me sick to my stomach. Not that you care, but I'm putting you on ignore. This is just simply disgusting.

 

[roger_ramjet]

I have no attachment. They are big and ugly. I drive it because it was important to my husband. They are EXCELLENT on the snow, but I'd rather have a regular car. When I got the first big car (I prefer the term "big car," makes me feel less like I'm driving this gigantic monster thing) I felt like a dope. But you get used to it after a while. Oh, it's more comfortable for long legs, too. (Still, would prefer a regular car.)

As opposed to your attitude: "I'll lecture folks on energy consumption while unnecessarily burning up energy to post on Disney websites."

Hypocrite.

Right. Because a computer uses a lot more energy than an SUV or lights that are left on day and night unnecessarily.

Sure, I'll cop to a little hypocrisy, but I'm not the one who cares nothing for global warming and would prefer it for the sake of comfort. I'd rather be slightly hypocritical than callous and short-sighted. I'm sure the people of Mauritius, Tonga and so on are thankful for the likes of you.

 

[Corwin12]

 

[Cool-Beans]

Right. Because a computer uses a lot more energy than an SUV or lights that are left on day and night unnecessarily.

Sure, I'll cop to a little hypocrisy, but I'm not the one who cares nothing for global warming and would prefer it for the sake of comfort. I'd rather be slightly hypocritical than callous and short-sighted. I'm sure the people of Mauritius, Tonga and so on are thankful for the likes of you.

So, it is OK to burn up energy if you say that you really care about the environment? You can ruin the lives of the people of Mauritius, and that's fine, so long as you pretend to care?

OK, then.

If you REALLY cared, you'd switch off your computer. But you don't. You are equally responsible for the fate of of the people of Mauritius, so hop down off that high horse.