Fighting wars to prevent crazies and madmen from controlling most of the world oil supply and reserves is something that from time to time may be necessary in a world that abhors allowing crazies and madmen to prey and/or control the freedom loving, hard working, and industrious.
What right do we have to kill over others oil? Especially when we do not need it. All we have to do is get off our asses and utilize what we already know about solar and wind power. I don't know which is the biggest impediment to our survival, our ignorance or our gluttony without regard to sustainability.
As for your conservation efforts, those are commendable. In my household the use of energy, private transportation, and non biodegradable products is also less than half the average citizen but this is for aesthetic and practical reasons and has absolutely nothing to do with 'saving the planet' or 'being a good citizen of the world' or whatever.
I never said anything about saving the planet. As Carlin said, the planet will be fine, its the people that are ****ed!
I have no illusions that I am significantly reducing my carbon footprint given what a small part of my participation in society that energy use and transportation is.
If all of us reduce our energy needs and increase development of renewable sources than we make Mideast wars unnecessary.
And as I think the honest science is overwhelming, if not conclusive, that reducing our carbon footprint is futile in affecting climate change, I see no valid reason to take away choices, options, opportunities, and freedoms from anybody on the theory that it will make a difference re global warming. And I especially see no reason to doom whole groups of people to more generations of crushing poverty should we deny them ability to exploit their natural resources as we have already done.
The current plan on the table by CBO estimates will cost consumers 44 cents a day. I am prepared to risk that on the chance that the concurrence of scientists from 180 countries are right.
How small and shallow would I feel if was too cheap to spring for 44 cents a day and doomed the chances for future life on the planet? :shock:
We do not want to unnecessarily allow poisons and toxins to pollute our soil, air, and water and I vigorously support reasonable laws and regulation to prevent that as much as possible. I support reasonable laws and regulations that preserve the aesthetic beauty of our planet and preserve the wonderful creatures living on it. And practicing reasonable conservation and thrift is commendable for almost all reasons.
Most of all I support common sense in all things whether it is in trying and convicting a terrorist intent on hurting or destroying us or in dealing with inevitable issues of climate change and other natural phenomenon. If you take political correctness, partisanship, and ignorance out of it, we generally make pretty good decisions about most things.
That remains to be seen.
Let's don't harm our economy and freedoms by allowing opportunists to spike our kool-ade with junk science or by allowing opportunists to corrupt the judicial system by giving enemy combatants all the civil rights provided to U.S. citizens.