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Logic determines that reducing ones use of natural resources, recycling wherever possible, and reducing generation of waste is a prudent choice, both from and economic and ecological point of view. This is not new thinking here. Many countries have been involved in recycling for 40 years. Cutting down on energy usage is a priority for me because I don't want to waste money. All a big truck means to me is that I'm going to be wasting a lot of money on gas. Call it smug if you will, I will call it common sense.
Let's see. Because of all the things I've done to my home, my average monthly electric bill at the most is $120 and that's with my father-in-law's home oxygen machine running 24/7 and a thermostat set for comfort and health instead of energy efficiency. I drive only to and from work, round trip of 16 miles and because of how I drive,...my 2003 Chevy Malibu 3.1L V-6 averages 23.5 mpg without AC and 22 mpg with AC in city driving. My wife runs errands in her 2007 Chrysler Sebring 2.4L engine. She averages 24 mpg in city driving. We need vehicles this size for the three of us to drive long distance to the nearest VA hospital for her dad. Buying a Prius Hybrid over other hybrids simply because you want others to see you're in a hybrid is being a smug jerk. When you look at my home, the only energy efficient thing you see is solar screens on the windows. What you don't see are all the CFL bulbs, clean AC coils, lowered water heater thermostat, low flow showerhead with on/off switch, and cooking with microwave and toaster oven for small meals. I could get my utility bill lower but my wife and father-in-law stay home all day and would go insane with boredom if I cut off their TV and satellite receivers. My neighbor's utility bill was getting way too high and asked me for help. I cleaned her evaporator and condensor coils (AC coils outside and inside) and programmed her thermostat. Her utility bill dropped almost in half. A celebrity driving to an awards show in a Prius is smug especially when you consider the mansion they live in and the private jets that they rode in to get there.
don't forget about all the death threats he has received as well..
I know you can't have a bumper sticker for a Republican around here without someone keying your car too. The left definitely has the market cornered when it comes to violent radicals.
First of all, who has received the death threats? Obama receives death threats every day. This is not a partisan issue.
Secondly, while "keying" your car is nasty, it is not violence, and I doubt again, that doing so is any more prevalent among "the left" than the right.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Cunucu Beach
Even Juan Williams, a life long liberal, accused by the Left of becoming too conservative as he ages, says that the Left is far more vicious in their criticism than conservatives.
Logic determines that reducing ones use of natural resources, recycling wherever possible, and reducing generation of waste is a prudent choice, both from and economic and ecological point of view. This is not new thinking here. Many countries have been involved in recycling for 40 years. Cutting down on energy usage is a priority for me because I don't want to waste money. All a big truck means to me is that I'm going to be wasting a lot of money on gas. Call it smug if you will, I will call it common sense.
I agree with you, but its easy for people like us who have no need for trucks to feel this way. Some people have personal reasons for buying trucks, and I won't question that. As we can see from ZGACK's example, it's a good thing some people do have trucks! At the same time, I think it's also smug to drive around in a truck acting like you're all that because you're not falling for the "propaganda" or whatever. Some people prefer trucks, some prefer Prius', some prefer other vehicles. Who is anyone, liberal or conservative, to question someone else's choice. I think Scott Brown exemplified conservative smugness with his whole "I drive a pick-up truck, I'm so great, I'm just like you" and do on. I like Scott, I think he'll be a great independent, center-right voice from a region of this country where the GOP had been dying because of the socially conservative turn it took in the rest of the country. That being said, his whole truck thing was stupid and kind of turned me off.
Let's see. Because of all the things I've done to my home, my average monthly electric bill at the most is $120 and that's with my father-in-law's home oxygen machine running 24/7 and a thermostat set for comfort and health instead of energy efficiency. I drive only to and from work, round trip of 16 miles and because of how I drive,...my 2003 Chevy Malibu 3.1L V-6 averages 23.5 mpg without AC and 22 mpg with AC in city driving. My wife runs errands in her 2007 Chrysler Sebring 2.4L engine. She averages 24 mpg in city driving. We need vehicles this size for the three of us to drive long distance to the nearest VA hospital for her dad. Buying a Prius Hybrid over other hybrids simply because you want others to see you're in a hybrid is being a smug jerk. When you look at my home, the only energy efficient thing you see is solar screens on the windows. What you don't see are all the CFL bulbs, clean AC coils, lowered water heater thermostat, low flow showerhead with on/off switch, and cooking with microwave and toaster oven for small meals. I could get my utility bill lower but my wife and father-in-law stay home all day and would go insane with boredom if I cut off their TV and satellite receivers. My neighbor's utility bill was getting way too high and asked me for help. I cleaned her evaporator and condensor coils (AC coils outside and inside) and programmed her thermostat. Her utility bill dropped almost in half. A celebrity driving to an awards show in a Prius is smug especially when you consider the mansion they live in and the private jets that they rode in to get there.
Good for you, but I don't get why you are being so defensive. I have a problem with people labeling the whole concept of a carbon footprint as a sham, and I was responding to rd2007's post. Reducing my energy usage just makes sense to me fiscally and ecologically.
Good for you, but I don't get why you are being so defensive. I have a problem with people labeling the whole concept of a carbon footprint as a sham, and I was responding to rd2007's post. Reducing my energy usage just makes sense to me fiscally and ecologically.
I didn't do these things to my home to lower my carbon footprint. I did it to lower my utility bill. I've been paid to go to people's homes to help them lower their utility bill. I go to relatives' homes to help them lower their utility bill. You're not going to win people over by using carbon footprint or global warming. You use money to get their attention. Do this to your home and you're utility bill will go down. I don't drive the way I do to save the enviroment, I do it to save money on gas. I don't regularly check my tire pressure to save the enviroment. I do it to save money on gas and extend the life of my tires. Preaching about the enviroment and global warming is a lot like a minister going door to door asking if they found God. It puts some people off. Tell them you know of some ways they can lower their utility bill and save money and they're all ears. Money talks.
Good for you, but I don't get why you are being so defensive. I have a problem with people labeling the whole concept of a carbon footprint as a sham, and I was responding to rd2007's post. Reducing my energy usage just makes sense to me fiscally and ecologically.
Just stop right there please. Either admit to falling for the terrapass scam or take my name out of your post. I NEVER said people shouldn't conserve and I do it all the time. I do not like paying high electric bills and would not want to budget $500/month for gasoline purchases.
I was specifically calling out people that do things only to show others that they care, such as buying a prius or falling for the terrapass thing. There was actually a poster here about a year ago that said he gave them out as Christmas presents and that's how I first found out about them. I wish my morals were low enough to take advantage of gullible bufoons like that, but they aren't. I also already covered the prius pretty well. Sailordave mentioned several other hybrid cars and I definitely would not mind the Fusion hybrid in my garage. It looks good, gets awesome mileage, and doesn't scream "you all suck because you don't care like I do". For other things the prius screams, check out Jeff Dunham. He nails them perfectly and is a funny as hell guy.
If I were to buy a hybrid today it would either be a Ford Focus or a Honda Civic. My car is paid for and still runs well so I'll do the right conservation thing and keep on driving what I have. A car isn't like a suit or a dress that you throw out when you get tired of it.
Please don't buy a Focus. I had one and the transmission went at 800+ miles, plus the knobs fell off the inside of the car. It was the biggest piece of junk car I ever leased and up until that time I drove a lot of Fords with no problems.
The SouthPark episode came from seeing people's reaction to seeing someone driving a Prius Hybrid. They saw this smug attitude and wrote the funniest bit of satire about the whole thing. What makes it even worse is the reason why other hybrid cars weren't sell as well as the Prius is because they don't look like a hybrid. With the Prius, it's obvious it's a hybrid. Until the Honda Insight, all other hybrids were traditional sedans converted into a hybrid. People were driving Prius cars to be SEEN driving a Prius car and acting like their poop don't stink.
I would think that Prius would attract transgenders like Subarus attract thespians.
Gerard Alexander is a conservative political academic (great oxymoron there), a very rare breed, and he obviously feels persecuted. An academic lashing out in an opinion piece, wow, must be true.
You just made yourself Exhibit A for his case.
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