[Chris25]

Am I the only one who is getting fed up with middle class families (in both the UK and US) doing "their bit" to fight global warming simply by buying hybrid cars or smacking in new light bulbs.

Don't people realise that these items are very complicated to make and require more oil than standard items and are often more un-environmentally freindly than the item they replaced?

I'm fed up with idiots like David Cameron (and virtually everyone in Californa) buying new Toyota prius's, thinking they are saving the world by buying a £17,000 car imported from Japan with two engines, which has used tonnes of oil during the manufacture and transportation.

Even if they have brought the car they will still commute for 1 hour+ a day, they will still buy their food covered in plastic packaging from supermarkets made by tonnes of fertilizer and oil guzziling machinery, they will still have a widescreen HD TV, they will still keep air-con and heating on, they will still travel 4 miles+ to the gym every few days..... and so on and so on.

[rostov]

I think it's all a front.

If the PTB don't want to acknowledge PO and overpopulation and GW, they front it by terrorism, hurricanes, summer driving periods, etc.

If these prius and energy efficiency consumers don't want to acknowledge that they are consuming less so that they have more money to prep for the slide, then they front by saying they save the environment, etc.

[Twilight]

I think it is simple comforting delusion, not a front for preparation. You can have a pair of home cinema systems, a pair of Mercs, an annual skiing holiday, and still recycle. And people do! I have met several just like that. And they're not being clever, they don't understand the problem.

[rdberg1957]

I think most folks know that we have environmental problems, but don't know how deep the shit is and really don't wanna know.

[lawnchair]

It's over-simplistic, but my rule of thumb is to never, ever trust an environmentalist without a clothesline.

Living in an apartment is a partial excuse.

"I work too much" and "It's too rainy" are not valid excuses. If you use it one sunny Saturday per year, it's worth it.

"My Homeowner's Association won't let me" means you are quite screwed.

[Tyler_JC]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('lawnchair', 'I')t's over-simplistic, but my rule of thumb is to never, ever trust an environmentalist without a clothesline.

Living in an apartment is a partial excuse.

"I work too much" and "It's too rainy" are not valid excuses. If you use it one sunny Saturday per year, it's worth it.

"My Homeowner's Association won't let me" means you are quite screwed.

[Plantagenet]

Carbon offsets make me mad.

People like John Travolta with his FIVE personal jet planes and Al Gore and John Edwards with their large amount of private jet travel and giant mansions pontificate about the environment --- meanwhile they use huge amounts of gas and fuel and energy and claim their hoggish use of energy and their personal enormous farting of jet CO2 into the air doesn't matter because they buy carbon offset decals.

Hypocrites are always especially annoying.

[I_Like_Plants]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('Chris25', 'A')m I the only one who is getting fed up with middle class families (in both the UK and US) doing "their bit" to fight global warming simply by buying hybrid cars or smacking in new light bulbs.

Don't people realise that these items are very complicated to make and require more oil than standard items and are often more un-environmentally freindly than the item they replaced?

I'm fed up with idiots like David Cameron (and virtually everyone in Californa) buying new Toyota prius's, thinking they are saving the world by buying a £17,000 car imported from Japan with two engines, which has used tonnes of oil during the manufacture and transportation.

Even if they have brought the car they will still commute for 1 hour+ a day, they will still buy their food covered in plastic packaging from supermarkets made by tonnes of fertilizer and oil guzziling machinery, they will still have a widescreen HD TV, they will still keep air-con and heating on, they will still travel 4 miles+ to the gym every few days..... and so on and so on.

[Newsseeker]

And don't forget Jevons paradox.

[Madpaddy]

Jeez,

Don't criticise people for trying. CFL bulbs (good quality ones like megaman or philips) are a no brainer for conservation. I cut my electricity bill by one third and have not replaced a bulb in 2 years.

A Prius, I concede, may be a misguided buy in terms of overall environmental benefit but it will save its owner considerably in fuel costs.

I do agree that to make any meaningful difference people have to change their lifestyles completely. That means wearing clothes for longer, using a clothesline, washing in solar heated water, wearing sweaters inside in winter, growing some of your own food, cycling where possible, having fewer children and buying local.

[tsakach]

The journey of a 1000 miles begins with a single step.

[Twilight]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('tsakach', 'T')he journey of a 1000 miles begins with a single step.