Wannabe Hippie

I own a station wagon because I want the room for my unruly dogs. Barry owns a Jeep because we like to drive to the desert and play. Who defines need? Me. I do the cost benefit analysis. So does everybody else, and sometimes we will disagree as to need.

There are people who think that owning two dogs is selfish. It is, in a sense - they use resources. There are many people who think that having two children is selfish. And it is, in a sense - the planet is getting pretty darned crowded.

I think that a survey of people with SUVs would discover some perceived need in every case. Whether you agree is another issue.

However, I do believe that it's beneficial that the market is helping to tip the scale in favor of higher mileage cars.

I disagree about hybrids being a solution - batteries are made from strip-mined minerals. And hell, Hondas used to get better mileage than a Prius. But that's another discussion.

Hit a nerve, did I?

Yeah, don't care. Most people who own SUV's and live in the city simply do not need them. I don't care about "perceived need" I care about sustainability and there is simply no way we can keep sustaining those silly things. Of course there are exceptions.

I do find it interesting how this "need" is suddenly changing for people now that the gas prices are so high. I guess it's less of a need and more of a want. And I think people recognizing that is a good thing.

And I never said hybrids are THE solution. I don't actually think they are. But I like that ALTERNATIVE solutions are finally being seriously explored.

So yes, we may not agree. And I'm totally cool with that. We are different in so many, amazingly wonderful ways.

Not sure what you mean by 'hit a nerve' . . . ? I don't drive an SUV.

I didn't say you said the hybrids were 'the' solution, so I'm confused about that comment. My point is that hybrids appear to be as hard on the environment as petroleum based cars and don't get better mileage than cars used to.

My main point is that you do things that are selfish sustainability speaking. So do I. I think we can agree that in general sustainability is a good thing. I can't agree that harsh judgment and divisions are ever good, and think it's sad that the American Left seems to rely so heavily on them. It's the thing that's driven me away more than anything else. I like to look for the positive in people and prefer looking to incentives than saying 'don't care.'

LOL!

OK, so you're not saying anything but "can't we all just get along"?

Look, I refuse to say that SUV's are great for our communities and everyone should do whatever the hell they want. I know that's the way of the world but I don't like it. I'm not saying my way is the right way, I'm only saying that now that gas prices are so high OPTIONS have become available. OPTIONS which were not available to us because people didn't give a shit.

It's the emerging options that make me happy. The fact that the public is now demanding better solutions and car companies are working to provide them is a good thing. That's my whole agenda here. You can lump me in with the left and make claims based on that all you want but this isn't really about politics. It's just about options.

And if you knew me at all you'd know I always look for the good in people. You'd know I'm not a judgmental person. It's a wee bit troublesome for me to hear that that's how you think of me (if that is, indeed what you are implying). But if it's how you feel, tell me. Your truth is just as important as mine.

It is true that I don't care about people's selfish needs when it's clear that in most cases those needs are actually wants and are destructive. Why would I waste my energy on that? Like I said, there are always exceptions. But if I piss someone off because I'm excited about options? They can bite me. It's not my job to make everyone else feel good about their decisions.

I agree with your post Elaine. My brain is totally cool with how things are going. I love the wake up call. I also totally get that tons of European countries have been paying our current price for a long time. My brain gets it all.

Of course, my gut and dry checkbook still clench at the $60 to fill the stupid mazda.

Lindsey - Oh yeah. It hurts. It hurts a lot.

Slippery slope to begin to judge en masse....mile in her moccasins and all that...

And I'm not so sure it actually breeds change as much as gleefully rejoicing about our own individual changes we make that are impactful economically and ecologically.

I'm not saying that an outside force should go evaluate everyone's needs and then judge them, I'm just saying that the gas crisis is making people look at what they really need and I think that's always
a good thing.

And I totally get that I come across as wildly judgmental. Not really my plan. But how is it bad to say that I'm happy that with rising gas prices, the focus is shifting in a way I support? Maybe I simply wasn't clear. Happens often.

I whole-heartedly agree. I only wish that the $2/gallon more that it costs now as opposed to a few years ago wasn't due to oil-industry inflation but ear-marked taxes so that the "extra" could be put towards developing alternative energy instead of making some execs even more wealthy.

And, yeah, yeah, everyone "needs" a big car but if I had a nickel for every time I saw someone driving alone in their big 8-passenger vehicle, I wouldn't be concerned about what rising gas prices are doing to my family budget.

I'll freely admit that many of my choices are not completely sustainable, but I have also made many deliberate decisions about what I do to strive towards sustainability. It's people that just don't give a damn at all or make any attempt toward efficient living that irk me.

I like that the high gas prices have forced people to think about their actions because it directly affects them. Not some distant environment or impending doom, but immediately - in their wallet. People must think about whether they really need to drive to the store, or if they can walk. Do they need to drive to the shopping area every day, or can they combine errands into one efficient trip? I like that.

I have been thinking about this a lot - the fact that I think the gas prices will end up being a good thing in the end. Good in that they make us look at something we otherwise often mindlessly do - filling up at the pump. Think about our dependence on foreign oil (or oil in general, for that matter), think about how our society is in love with driving, how our cars are wrapped up in our egos, about public transportation, about why we ship our food to the other side of the country, etc. I am sure some of my habits would make Al Gore shudder, but I think the more we wake up to these kind of issues, the more likelihood we have of making healthy, wise choices for ourselves and our planet.

I agree. Although our bank account is hurting, and I leave the house a lot less often, I think it's a positive step towards getting the options out there and available.

Now, if only they would bring back the electric car...

Hello Elaine! I feel pretty strongly about this and also feel like it is a good wake up call for all of us. We just bought a Yaris and I love it. We only use the car a few times a week for short trips (big shopping, heading to a family member's house), but we like to have it for the occasional road trip/trip up island. My husband has only been driving for the last two years and takes the bus every day. I know we are lucky enough to live in a place that is fairly walkable, but it does take effort not to drive everywhere and I also feel that the majority of SUVs are not a "need". So mant people have asked us if the Yaris is too small or if it bothers us not having more space. Not once have I thought about it, it is what it is, a messy crowded vehicle that gets us where we need to go as efficiently as possible. We live in Victoria and they are putting a carbon tax into effect soon, the fisrt in North America, check it out: http://www.canada.com/vancouversun/news/story.html?id=ecea1487-507c-43ef-ab88-5a972898e0b7&k=38130
It's hard because we are already struggling to make it here as the island is not the cheapest place to live, but I think the idea of it is going in the right direction.
We also got a 1000 rebate from the gov. for buying an eco-friendly car:http://www.ecoaction.gc.ca/ecotransport/ecoauto-eng.cfm
Good stuff!