Our Conspicious Consumption...

Got one (Prius) and thinking about buying another...just saw an after-market battery pack that will be available for the Prius in mid-summer that will take the Prius to 100 mpg. I have tried to cost justify the purchase...but it will take 166,000 miles to cost justify it ($10,000).

But hell who here has ever tried to cost justify our trucks? Just won't happen, and power adders fail the test too...we all just do what we can when we can and then return to conspicuous consumption.
 
I actually took the time to read this thread and realized that there is alot of posturing for a Viper Truck Forum. I dont know what to believe, what to think...

I may be stupid compared to some of you folks and maybe I dont put much thought into things like this but it seems that we are nothing more than amoebas that have taken over a really big host.

I think that living for today is not a bad deal...because no matter what you do there is some lady in New York putting on some Aqua Net Aerosol Hairspray while I drive my V-10 down the freeway at 80 mph and fly on an airplane burning dead dinosaurs.

In the grand scheme of things...while you have the free time to do what you can to protect the environment, is that going to change the way anybody here thinks? I think not, I read about people buying Prius's all the time but I dont think I will be buying one anytime soon. Why? Because I cant afford it, hell, I can barely afford the gas for my truck.

Just because Al Gore said he likes to recycle doesnt mean that the end of the world is coming....and what makes a scientist a subject matter on what is going to happen to our planet? Because they went to college? HEY! So What! Man lives for about 80 years and the earth has been around for billions of years....

In other words...I dont think we are really going to change the way the Earth ends too much....everything has a destiny and it will end sooner or later. No reason to argue about it...
 
Kris I believe that point is that the earth will go on, the issue is the quality of life for the humans who will be on the earth for however long they happen to survive.
 
Here's another.... from a bunch of Tree-Hugger's, no less! :dontknow: :D :p

http://www.thedailygreen.com/environmental-news/latest/arctic-sea-ice-47121205

NASA said:
Record sea ice growth rates after a record low may sound surprising at first, but it is not completely unexpected. The more ice that survives the summer melt, the less open water there is for new ice to grow. When summertime ice extent hits a record low, on the other hand, large areas of open water provide room for the ice to grow once temperatures cool off enough. While summer warming of the upper ocean surface can cause wintertime sea ice regrowth to lag initially, as the fall season progresses and sunlight weakens, the rate of energy loss from the ocean increases. That heat loss coupled with a large area of open water creates ideal conditions for sea ice to form rapidly over large areas.
Click to expand...

(To me, that sounds like this: "The Arctic ice actually needs to MELT, before more ice is generated").... But, I'm just a drunken college drop-out. :eek:
 
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Silverback said:
Well you need to sell the truck and the Bimmer and buy a couple Prius's. ;) :p :D
Click to expand...

I can't sell the truck. Was almost totally two summers ago. No one in their right mind would buy her, so I'm stuck with her until I put her down.

When i do get my electric car in the Bemmer is gone for sure. I'd prefer a Tesla or two, the Prius has very poor pickup:D

-jeff
 
Black1 said:
Here's another.... from a bunch of Tree-Hugger's, no less! :dontknow: :D :p

http://www.thedailygreen.com/environmental-news/latest/arctic-sea-ice-47121205



(To me, that sounds like this: "The Arctic ice actually needs to MELT, before more ice is generated").... But, I'm just a drunken college drop-out. :eek:
Click to expand...

Well jake those tree huggers have seemed to have taken that article down. I can't for the life of me to get that link to work.

I've referenced this ice shelve before.

http://www.news.com/2300-11395_3-6235636-1.html

I'm for sure a drunken college grad, but the ice going into the ocean out weights the ice buildup. Just an amature observation.

-jeff
 
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jelms said:
Well jake those tree huggers have seemed to have taken that article down. I can't for the life of me to get that link to work.

I've referenced this ice shelve before.

http://www.news.com/2300-11395_3-6235636-1.html

I'm for sure a drunken college grad, but the ice going into the ocean out weights the ice buildup. Just an amature observation.

-jeff
Click to expand...

That's strange... It works for me. :confused: I even hit "refresh", thinking my browser cached it. :dontknow:
 
Jeff nobody is attacking your alternative view. I believe that simply put it's the science stupid :D Scientists now days cow tow to the people that fund their exploration. Maybe this has always been the case but just a little more transparent now. It seems after much research on this on my end. There is no clear and unbiased slant on any of it. It's politicized, watered down, regurgitated, hyperbolas, hypocritical, Disingenuous and above all can be counter argued by the other side to well. There is no consensus, No thunder bolt of info you can look to, that actually makes anyone stand up and say....Holy Shit !

Indisputable is the fact that ice is melting. Vehicles throw off dangerous fumes and airplanes as well. We all consume way to much and do way to little with way to much refuse. Recycling helps sure it does. But people do not care as much as you think or wish they would. People will only change when it effects them personally in a big way. While I admire your will to fight and Prof for his willingness to educate. The message is lost in translation when the science as Prof quotes does not add up. Any number cruncher can skew things one way or another to suit their purpose. Just look at the great economy under the Clinton's.

Nothing presented here makes me not want to whack a few Spotted Owls or save a Damn Condor. Survival of the fittest baby. Thats why we evolved from Australopithecus Africanis to Robustus :D We are Bipedal and have opposable thumbs.....Just like all election year hot buttons this to will pass hopefully with Al Gores death, But we can't have everything can we :D Mark my words nobody after November will remember his stupid although entertaining movie or his DNC bought Nobel prize. I will still recycle and ride my bike when I can to save some money from lining oil company pockets...But if I still had my truck I would do a nice smokey burn out and enjoy the smell of burnning rubber with an Enzyte BoB smile on my face and not give 2 Shits what an tree hugging Douche thought about it. Hypocrisy abounds :D
 
Jeff nobody is attacking your alternative view. I believe that simply put it's the science stupid :D Scientists now days cow tow to the people that fund their exploration. Maybe this has always been the case but just a little more transparent now. It seems after much research on this on my end. There is no clear and unbiased slant on any of it. It's politicized, watered down, regurgitated, hyperbolas, hypocritical, Disingenuous and above all can be counter argued by the other side to well. There is no consensus, No thunder bolt of info you can look to, that actually makes anyone stand up and say....Holy Shit !

Indisputable is the fact that ice is melting. Vehicles throw off dangerous fumes and airplanes as well. We all consume way to much and do way to little with way to much refuse. Recycling helps sure it does. But people do not care as much as you think or wish they would. People will only change when it effects them personally in a big way. While I admire your will to fight and Prof for his willingness to educate. The message is lost in translation when the science as Prof quotes does not add up. Any number cruncher can skew things one way or another to suit their purpose. Just look at the great economy under the Clinton's.

Nothing presented here makes me not want to whack a few Spotted Owls or save a Damn Condor. Survival of the fittest baby. Thats why we evolved from Australopithecus Africanis to Robustus :D We are Bipedal and have opposable thumbs.....Just like all election year hot buttons this to will pass hopefully with Al Gores death, But we can't have everything can we :D Mark my words nobody after November will remember his stupid although entertaining movie or his DNC bought Nobel prize. I will still recycle and ride my bike when I can to save some money from lining oil company pockets...But if I still had my truck I would do a nice smokey burn out and enjoy the smell of burnning rubber with an Enzyte BoB smile on my face and not give 2 Shits what an tree hugging Douche thought about it. Hypocrisy abounds :D
 
Black1 said:
That's strange... It works for me. :confused: I even hit "refresh", thinking my browser cached it. :dontknow:
Click to expand...

Ok I think i got it to work. I guess my internet connection is being pretty picky tonight. I'll definitely read it now. Thanks for the post.

-jeff
 
Black1 said:
LMAO! :D ;) The only words I grazed over were "Spotted Owls" and "whacking" something.... :eek: I figured I'd stop there. :eek:
Click to expand...
Prolly for the best that way.....But I think its actually one of my best posts ever :D Just like this one :eek:
 
I didn't want to start a new thread but I had to post my frustation somewhere and I figured what better place then here . . . :mad: :mad: :mad:

I just listened to and read the most idiotic interview ever ! ! ! I couldn't believe my ears, so I just had to read the transcript to make sure my hearing was not shot ! :confused:

Here's a portion of it . . .

Question: Mr. President, I wonder if in your eight years in office what the changes have been, in your view, of climate change?

THE PRESIDENT: I think it's been more clearly defined as a problem. But what hasn't changed is the realistic notion that new technologies are going to be the solution, and the fundamental question is how do you grow the economy at the same time, and at the same time encourage new technologies. And my administration has done more for the new technologies necessary to change our lifestyles without sacrificing wealth than any other administration.


Exactly what technologies is that? "without sacrificing wealth"? who's wealth? I see everywhere in the United States where everyone's wealth is dimenisioning - and it seems to all stem back to the rising gas prices - from groceries to clothing to just basic transportation back and forth to work! The trucking company is the backbone of our economy - their costs go up - so does ours. So who's wealth is it that we're not sacrificing? Maybe yours?


Question: Mr. President, for the record, is global warming real?

THE PRESIDENT: Yes, it is real, sure is. But the solutions -- having said that, the solutions have got to be measured and realistic -- you can't have a solution to global warming unless China and India are part of any international pact. It's one of the reasons I didn't accept what's called the Kyoto Protocol, and therefore was labeled as anti-environment. I'm a realistic guy. If the major emitters of greenhouse gases are not a part of a solution, then those who are part of a solution are acting in a way that's simply not going to -- it will affect their own economies, but it won't affect the overall global warming issue.

So, yes, I put forth a very realistic, straightforward program that makes sense.


Okay, this is where I really get pissy!!! Oh now there's an issue of global warming according to the president? When he was presented with information and facts before - he choose to ignore them. I guess if you plead ignorance, you can make your own reality. You want to bring up China and India? Trying having all your facts - facts that even an average American citizen has access to! Here are some facts:
U.S. is the biggest emitter of greenhouse gasses (6746 CO2e Mt)
China is third (3650 CO2e Mt)
India is fifth (1228.54 CO2e Mt)

Taking the population into affect the breakdown per person:
Australia is No 1 - (27.54 CO2e per person)
U.S. is 2nd - (24.09 CO2e per person)
China is 22nd - (3.05 CO2e per person)
India is 27th - (1.34 CO2e per person)

Now what about this following FACT:
There are 179 countries that have signed the Kyoto Protocol - of those including CHINA & INDIA & AUSTRALIA ! !
16 countries still undecided
AND 1 COUNTRY THAT REFUSES - UNITED STATES. ONE IS THE LONLIEST NUMBER! ! !

"You can't have a solution to global warming unless China and India are part of any international pact" - DUH! Kyoto Protocol is that international pact - the only one not taking part is . . . United States.

And what exactly is this "very realistic, straightforward program"? I don't see the Bush Administration putting forth any program that is trying to better the environment! There are 12 states that are working with the CESA (Clean Air States Alliance - a non-profit organization that collects funds from these 12 states to promote clean energy projects and companies). This is on an indiviual state level, this is not by the Bush Administration. Go California, Connecticut, Illinois, Massachusetts, Minnesota, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island and Wisconsin!!!!!


Question: Mr. President, acknowledging those constraints, you're an oil man -- some people say that climate change, global warming could have been your Nixon-to-China. Do you wish you'd done more?

THE PRESIDENT: I did what I think is necessary to actually work, Michael. I mean, I could have signed a -- I could have supported a lousy treaty and everybody would have went, "Oh, man, what a wonderful sounding fellow he is." But it just wouldn't have worked. I don't think you want your President trying to be the cool guy and not end up with policies that actually make a difference.

So the policies I've outlined are policies that will actually make a difference: nuclear power for generating electricity; battery driven cars; ethanol. There's a variety of initiatives -- clean coal technology -- all of which will help us sustain our economic vitality and at the same time be better stewards of the environment.

What would help our economy more and support these new technologies than emissions trading (as set out in Article 17 of the Kyoto Protocol, allows countries that have emission units to spare - emissions permitted them but not "used" - to sell this excess capacity to countries that are over their targets)? Outlined in the Kyoto Protocol, countries must meet their targets primarily through national measures. The Kyoto Protocol offers countries additional means of meeting their targets by way of three market-based mechanisms. Emissions trading, Clean Development Mechanism, and Joint Implementation to help stimulate green investment and help parties meet their emission targets in a cost-effective way.

So can someone please help me see the logic in the interview from the great leader of the free country??? Maybe I'm being the ignorant one :dontknow: :dontknow: :dontknow:
 
President Bush is an ignorant, arrogant ass. By most estimates one of the three worst presidents in the history of this nation. In my estimate the very worst. Recognition of his failings is world-wide.

Here is a site that will cause you to laugh and then cry...because he is our elected leader...http://www.plattbridger.myby.co.uk/bushisms.htm

I voted for him once. I may never be able to make up for that mistake.

I also believe that he may well have to defend himself against war crimes trials and possibly criminal prosecution for his disregard for the constitutional rights of the people of this country.
 
Prof said:
President Bush is an ignorant, arrogant ass. By most estimates one of the three worst presidents in the history of this nation. In my estimate the very worst. Recognition of his failings is world-wide.

Here is a site that will cause you to laugh and then cry...because he is our elected leader...http://www.plattbridger.myby.co.uk/bushisms.htm

I voted for him once. I may never be able to make up for that mistake.

I also believe that he may well have to defend himself against war crimes trials and possibly criminal prosecution for his disregard for the constitutional rights of the people of this country.
Click to expand...

Can you impeach a president after his term, or are you pretty much screwed after the fact?
 
Jake I believe that the term Impeachment refers to a person in office.

But I could be wrong.
 
Prof said:
Jake I believe that the term Impeachment refers to a person in office.

But I could be wrong.
Click to expand...

You are completely correct Roy.

To charge (a public official) with improper conduct in office before a proper tribunal. Right from a dictionary.

I would completely agree that this administration has been the worse ever. Arrogance, ignorance, and a total disregard for the constitution. To just start with.

Unlike Roy, I never voted for this guy but he is our leader:( Just glad he won't be on the ballot again.

-jeff
 
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