Not being facetious

[MJE]

If I watched Al Gore’s An Inconvient Truth and bought into the theories what** exactly**, would I do? Sell my compact car for mass transit? Paper bags instead of plastic at the store? I have not seen the movie and doubt that I will. So far, all I have been able to p/u from discussions on this are “vote Democrat”.

 

[aurora77]

I think if you’re going to buy what he’s selling, you need to do everything you’ve listed. I watched it last week (my poor hubby had to put up with my comments through the movie ). I saw a lot of self promotion, a couple of times of Bush bashing, and a “you little people are at fault for all of this” type attitude. You need to buy a hybrid, or better yet, move to a little apartment in a huge city so you can take the subway, bring your own bags to the store, set your thermostats higher or lower based on the season, and, most especially vote Democrat.

 

[rlg94086]

I think if you’re going to buy what he’s selling, you need to do everything you’ve listed. I watched it last week (my poor hubby had to put up with my comments through the movie ). I saw a lot of self promotion, a couple of times of Bush bashing, and a “you little people are at fault for all of this” type attitude. You need to buy a hybrid, or better yet, move to a little apartment in a huge city so you can take the subway, bring your own bags to the store, set your thermostats higher or lower based on the season, and, most especially vote Democrat.

Forget the hybrid…it still emits…I saw an electric car soon to be released. It only goes 25 MPH, but we all need to make sacrifices.

 

[susie_g]

I wish someone would do a documentary on the lifestyles of these rich people who like to preach to the rest of us about how our over-consumption is wrecking the environment. Does anybody here really think Al Gore takes Mass Transit anywhere? Do he and his family live in a modest home? Does he fly on regular planes with the rest of us?

We do hear a lot about how humans are causing global warming. How about some practical things we can do to fix it? (And, I’m not driving a hybrid or an electric car until they make a 12-passenger version like my GMC Savannah! I suppose my large family is only contributing to the poor state of the environment. Somebody should do something about these over-populating Catholic families!)

 

[mary_bobo]

Forget the hybrid…it still emits…I saw an electric car soon to be released. It only goes 25 MPH, but we all need to make sacrifices.

I wish I could remember where, and I do not guarantee its authenticity, but it was stated that the Hummer produces less polution than the Prius. Anyone else heard this?

 

[CarolAnnSFO]

I wish someone would do a documentary on the lifestyles of these rich people who like to preach to the rest of us about how our over-consumption is wrecking the environment. Does anybody here really think Al Gore takes Mass Transit anywhere? Do he and his family live in a modest home? Does he fly on regular planes with the rest of us?

BINGO!

I, too, am DEAD SICK AND TIRED of hearing mansion-living, private-jet-flying, designer-clothes-wearing, gas-guzzler-driving celebrities and big shots tell me that I have to sacrifice and change my lifestyle. My reasonably good gas mileage car isn’t enough, my 61-degree thermostat setting (in the winter) isn’t enough, my lack of air conditioning in the summer isn’t enough. They want to yank my livelihood right out from under me by telling me not to drive my car. Are these rich, fat-cats going to pay me to sit on my butt doing nothing because I can’t get to work without a car? Will they give me the enormous amount of money it would cost me to live close to where I work?

Want to know what my message is to these big-shot “do-gooders”?

STUFF A SOCK IN IT!

Rant over.

 

[rlg94086]

I wish I could remember where, and I do not guarantee its authenticity, but it was stated that the Hummer produces less polution than the Prius. Anyone else heard this?

Huh…I did a quick google and sure enough. I haven’t read it yet, but here it is…
clubs.ccsu.edu/recorder/editorial/editorial_item.asp?NewsID=188

Through a study by CNW Marketing called “Dust to Dust,” the total combined energy is taken from all the electrical, fuel, transportation, materials (metal, plastic, etc) and hundreds of other factors over the expected lifetime of a vehicle. The Prius costs an average of $3.25 per mile driven over a lifetime of 100,000 miles - the expected lifespan of the Hybrid.
The Hummer, on the other hand, costs a more fiscal $1.95 per mile to put on the road over an expected lifetime of 300,000 miles. That means the Hummer will last three times longer than a Prius and use less combined energy doing it.

[sign]Time to buy a Hummer[/sign]

 

[aurora77]

I suppose my large family is only contributing to the poor state of the environment. Somebody should do something about these over-populating Catholic families!)

Actually, I think those of you with big families are doing better than those of us without kids. If you look at the “check your carbon footprint” websites, they ask how many live in your house–the more the better, b/c you’re less wasteful. So, I guess it’s my environmental duty to adopt as many kids as I can (only from first world countries, though, kids in developing nations aren’t hurting the environment nearly as much as those of us in the west are )

 

[Ramalama]

If I watched Al Gore’s An Inconvient Truth and bought into the theories what** exactly**, would I do? Sell my compact car for mass transit? Paper bags instead of plastic at the store? I have not seen the movie and doubt that I will. So far, all I have been able to p/u from discussions on this are “vote Democrat”.

Just watch the news about Al, Babs, and the other wacco libs, and do what they do. Make sure you use less energy than they do. Check carefully for the size of their homes and cars. You could even do an extra penance and do it without buying carbon offsets!

If you do all this right you might be one of the first saints in the CCC (Church of Climate Change).

OK - I’m sorry, this wasn’t directed at you. I just couldn’t help it.

 

[Dandelion_Wine]

Forget the hybrid…it still emits…I saw an electric car soon to be released. It only goes 25 MPH, but we all need to make sacrifices.

That’s hardly typical of hybrids or electric cars in general

I wish I could remember where, and I do not guarantee its authenticity, but it was stated that the Hummer produces less polution than the Prius. Anyone else heard this?

I read the link and I’m unimpressed. For example -

Through a study by CNW Marketing called “Dust to Dust,” the total combined energy is taken from all the electrical, fuel, transportation, materials (metal, plastic, etc) and hundreds of other factors over the expected lifetime of a vehicle. The Prius costs an average of $3.25 per mile driven over a lifetime of 100,000 miles - the expected lifespan of the Hybrid.

So, doing some quick math, that’s $325,000 spent over the life of the car. I find this hard to believe. Either this cost is mostly to produce the car - yet one doesn’t pay this on the sticker price. Or it’s to pay for ‘fuel’, etc. I don’t know who spends that amount of money on gas let alone for a hybrid. The numbers seem dubious to me.

 

[rlg94086]

That’s hardly typical of hybrids or electric cars in general

I know…I was surprised when they mentioned it on the news. I figured I was being transported in time back to when the first electric cars came out.

I read the link and I’m unimpressed. For example - So, doing some quick math, that’s $325,000 spent over the life of the car. I find this hard to believe. Either this cost is mostly to produce the car - yet one doesn’t pay this on the sticker price. Or it’s to pay for ‘fuel’, etc. I don’t know who spends that amount of money on gas let alone for a hybrid. The numbers seem dubious to me.

Perhaps. But, I think the battery production issue may be important environmentally. I would need some more detail and data. A lot of times things look better on the surface. For example, that electric car I mentioned was reported as being “emission free.” I told my wife that is probably not true…depending on how your local electricity is generated, which you are then using to charge your car.

 

[Dandelion_Wine]

But, I think the battery production issue may be important environmentally. I would need some more detail and data.

Agreed. I did my own searching before I posted and I couldn’t find any hard data on how they got their numbers anywhere. It would be interesting to see.

I belonged to a “green” message board for quite a while and I really enjoyed it. The people who posted there were very concerned about the environment and put a lot of thought into it - they weren’t all just “save the trees”. There were grand debates over paper vs. plastic because it’s really not a simple question. Even with hybrids and hydrogen cells - there was concern over what the hydrogen could do to the environment. So it wasn’t just a “we hate oil, let’s use hydrogen” kind of mentality but a look at the whole picture and what needs to be done to the infrastructure as it develops to make sure it’s done right. It was refreshing after the extremes you normally find with our current political structures.

 

[catholicbuckeye]

That’s hardly typical of hybrids or electric cars in general

I read the link and I’m unimpressed. For example - So, doing some quick math, that’s $325,000 spent over the life of the car. I find this hard to believe. Either this cost is mostly to produce the car - yet one doesn’t pay this on the sticker price. Or it’s to pay for ‘fuel’, etc. I don’t know who spends that amount of money on gas let alone for a hybrid. The numbers seem dubious to me.

Well, I doubt it costs $325,000 to produce the car, obviously Toyota would be broke in a week selling $325,000 cars for $30,000 or whatever they cost. No idea where that number comes from. I will tell you what. Just give me $100,000, which is a $225,000 savings for you, and I will give you a “green certificate” certifying that I will not fly in private jets, drive SUVs or use the same amount of electricity of 20 households as Al Gore does, thus making your carbon footprint zero. This statement comes with a pinky-swear guarantee. You can redeem this certificate at any Hollywood or Democratic Party party where people brag they are saving the world by driving a Prius.

 

[lizaanne]

Public transport? In Detroit? What a total joke!!! There is no way, while the “big three” have any remaining power whatsoever, that there will be any sort of efficient public transport in the Motorcity. No matter how much we really truly do need it, and everyone wants it. It will never happen. Only after those who have the power to lobby the state have lost that power and someone else can get in place and put public transport in, will we finally have anything even closely resembling public transport. I would so love that - believe me, I would love it if we didn’t have to drive EVERYWHERE around here.

In the mean time - we do use reusable bags for the grocery store, and we visit our local farmer’s market on Saturday to buy our fresh produce, free range eggs, bread, and cheese, and use our little tote bags for our trip.

We also recycle every bit of glass, plastic, and metal that we can.

It’s not much - we do what we can.

~Liza

 

[JimG]

I guess the most important thing you could do would be to lobby for China to cease further industrial development. I understand that they will be building a lot more coal fired generating plants than we ever will. Maybe the underdeveloped countries will just have to stay underdeveloped, for the sake of the planet.

 

[Dandelion_Wine]

Maybe the underdeveloped countries will just have to stay underdeveloped, for the sake of the planet.

If I watched Al Gore’s An Inconvient Truth and bought into the theories what** exactly**, would I do?

I have no idea.

But since you’re a Christian - you do your part where you can. God gave us this earth, we should take care of it. Recycle. Reduce. Reuse. Start a compost pile. Walk or bike instead of taking the Hummer if you can. Carpool when possible. Take your own bags to the grocery store. Do what you can.

 

[Eden]

You are already doing way more for the environment than Al Gore is by using the average amount of electricity for a family:

The average household in America consumes 10,656 kilowatt-hours (kWh) per year, according to the Department of Energy. In 2006, Gore devoured nearly 221,000 kWh—more than 20 times the national average.

**Last August alone, Gore burned through 22,619 kWh—guzzling more than twice the electricity in one month than an average American family uses in an entire year. As a result of his energy consumption, Gore’s average monthly electric bill topped $1,359. **

**Since the release of An Inconvenient Truth, Gore’s energy consumption has increased from an average of 16,200 kWh per month in 2005, to 18,400 kWh per month in 2006. **

**Gore’s extravagant energy use does not stop at his electric bill. Natural gas bills for Gore’s mansion and guest house averaged $1,080 per month last year. **

“As the spokesman of choice for the global warming movement, Al Gore has to be willing to walk the walk, not just talk the talk, when it comes to home energy use,” said Tennessee Center for Policy Research President Drew Johnson.

tennesseepolicy.org/main/article.php?article_id=367

 

[maryalene]

There was a great piece in a recent Time Magazine about how hypocritical a lot of these celebrity “enviornmental spokesmen” are. I don’t mind people being passionate about what they believe in, but for pete’s sakes people, you have to walk the walk if you are going to have any credibility.

 

[Dandelion_Wine]

You are already doing way more for the environment than Al Gore is by using the average amount of electricity for a family

Any information on what Bush uses? Maybe as far as rich guys go, maybe Al is greener than the rest?

 

[Jennifer123]

BINGO!

I, too, am DEAD SICK AND TIRED of hearing mansion-living, private-jet-flying, designer-clothes-wearing, gas-guzzler-driving celebrities and big shots tell me that I have to sacrifice and change my lifestyle.

LOL - I hear ya! Al Gore is an “environmentalist” because he can afford it by buying trees in some forest to offset his lifestyle.
Unfortunately we all won’t be so lucky if his “science” influences policy, for we will really be paying the price, or passing it on to our children.
hebookservice.com/products/BookPage.asp?prod_cd=c7020