You will appreciate that someone might get (shall we say) irritated at the amount of procrastination on this topic!
There's obviously a lot of variation between peoples' views on what is 'essential', what is 'desirable' and what is 'luxurious'; but also between how each topic itself is viewed ... For instance you mention 'central heating' - I don't see this as a 'luxury', it doesn't need to be particularly energy-wasteful
if properly installed, maintained and managed; a good ch system is far more efficient and less polluting than the old coal fire!
On the other aspect (interpretation), three foreign holidays a year is not a problem if you take a train and live the life of the people; flying to far away places to stay isolated from the country in energy-expensive hotels built on delicate habitat using rare resources is a
very different matter.
You will take my point that we shouldn't generalise? So there are two points here - education on energy efficiency, conservation and the like (and if people are too thick to do it themselves then we need to impose rules)
and changing peoples' views of what they need - this is a fairly subtle, long-term process but can be done, there are examples .....
I don't think one should be afraid to cast blame where it truly lies and criticism of Bush, his bosses and his hangers-on is surely fair comment? If people don't recognise the forces positively working against the environment then what chance is there of changing things?
Quote:
Originally Posted by smartie  Easy there, Paul
When I talk of "luxuries" I don't mean fast cars and three foreign holidays a year - though lots of people do want those. I mean larger houses than we need, central heating, cars, computers, washing machines, driving 30 miles to work because we prefer to live somewhere else, all that kind of stuff. Of course there are some folk who turn their backs on all this and live a much more environmentally friendly life. Maybe you are one of them, in which case I salute you.
But, I'll use myself as an example to be as little contentious as possible. I am one of those who support many green initiatives and I try to reduce my own environmental footprint by a number of means. Nevertheless I am "guilty" of much of what I am accusing the average member of the population of - simply taking for granted a level of energy consumption that isn't globally sustainable even now, and certainly won't be when the developing nations get closer to our level of consumption. And if people like me, who do know something about the issues and take an interest, are not willing to do without their constant hot water and personal transport, what of those who don't understand and don't take an interest? In my own experience they are in the majority. And I believe governments are more likely to be swayed by them than me.
BTW I agree with you about the US Government, but I don't think this is the website on which to expose the depth of my feeling there.
I should also say I'm not advocating a wait and see policy - I'm just saying I think this is largely what will happen. |