Offshore drilling bill passes house - CONTACT YOUR SENATORS!

Please register or login

Welcome to ScubaBoard, the world's largest scuba diving community. Registration is not required to read the forums, but we encourage you to join. Joining has its benefits and enables you to participate in the discussions.

Benefits of registering include

  • Ability to post and comment on topics and discussions.
  • A Free photo gallery to share your dive photos with the world.
  • You can make this box go away

Joining is quick and easy. Log in or Register now!

oh no, never mention your dad buys your gas, you just asked for it.
 
catherine96821:
oh no, never mention your dad buys your gas, you just asked for it.


Hahah, yeah, I know.:lol: I wasn't clear however.

I pay for gas and insurance on my car. (As my Dad points out, if I want to be an adult, I actually have to act like one):( It costs me almost $60 to fill up while it costs my Daddy-dearest around $75...
 
ChillyWaters:
Well, let me be the first to say, thank you, for your wise approach to conservation. I'll walk down the road and thank all the gas guzzler drivers for doing their part. They have performed well.

Sure, me reducing my gas consumption by 40% has little effect, but if more people would follow, that would be a big difference. But, conversely, how much of a change does your SUV make? Hypocrit?

I know all about economics and supply/demand, but there are _many_ more ways to increase price of oil. Taxing SUV owners more would be the first step, and gas in general as well. And there is more the gov't can do to increase standards. And technology is already shifting. No, we don't need more people thinking that their SUV driving antics are actually beneficial to the world.

Perhaps I'll do my part in environmentalism. Perhaps I'll become a commercial fisherman to help deplete the coast's fish stocks. Only until we start to run out, and fish prices go up, will people start to take notice of any problem, right? Oh, I could use this logic on so many levels. I'm starting to feel better already.

- ChillyWaters

Here I was thinking that it wasn't our goal to be conserving oil, but to eventually abandon it altogether, or near as possible. Unlike the fish, who cares how much is left? Your 'fishy' metaphor doesn't compare.

Also, is there a global oil or suv tax out there that I am unaware of, or do you just see this being imposed on Americans? Surely it would be applied across the board :wink: As Americans run screaming from the service stations, nobody else is going to buy the stuff we don't? Isn't a barrel of oil burned through driving an SUV roughly the equivalent of the same barrel of oil being burned in a Chiness manufacturing plant? You haven't even addressed the reduction of overall global consumption, you've just managed to say that 'a hybrid car uses less gas' and 'SUVs are bad', over and over. But kudos to you for putting forward something that actually resembles an idea.

Regards,
MEL
 
We already have a gas guzzler tax on inefficient cars, but it has a loophole for light trucks and SUVs. Since the manufacturer pays the tax, they have an incentive to push SUVs.

I'm sure my V-8 Infiniti has been taxed. The SUV owners haven't. So I can drive my gas guzzler knowing that I have contributed even more to the Federal treasury. Do I believe for a second that it's made any difference? :shakehead

Taxes are the real root of all problems.

http://www.fueleconomy.gov/feg/info.shtml#guzzler

http://www.electrifyingtimes.com/gasguzzlerloophole.html
 
Misplaced Priority:
HELP!!!

I still can't get this wetsuit OFF!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!:wink: :wink:

:D
Quick, get some oil for the zipper! Wait, is it a hybrid zipper that only uses a little bit of oil, or a regular zipper?

I need to get out of this thread. Thanks for the laugh.
 
Just one more comment to hopefully clear up my stance on this issue:

I do believe that global warming is occuring. I hope that point is clear and understood.

My contention comes at what or who is causing it to happen. I find it very difficult to believe that we can take 'data' that has been gathered over an extremely small period of time, geologically speaking, and assign an enormous amount of responsibility to human actions and activity.

I also find it ludicrous that many posters here and elsewhere use the information they cite as being irrefutable and entirely conclusive, yet information opposiing their views is suspect and flawed.

To my understanding, none of us has been around long enough, nor has enough scientific data been passed down from previous generations of scientists, to be able to claim with certainty that one or another 'theory' is absolute and without contestation. Claims to those points are absurd and mark the maker of such claims as lunatic.

Again, analysis of the geological records shows dramatic and catastrophic temperature swings for millenia before the oil companies were even thought of. What temperature shift can freeze a mamoth while it is still chewing grass?

My family tries to be responsible and yet keep our kids safe while moving amongst multi-ton vehicles moving at high rates of speed. My current pickup is a 2006 Ford F-150 Supercab 4x2 that I haven't even started in two weeks. It get 20mpg hiway and about 15 city. We drive as little as possible and try to map out and organize as much as possible in each trip. However, we like to be comfortable and safe while traveling and feel that our abiltiy to be comfortable on our 1999 Expedition for long period of time, overrides the minor fuel efficiency benefit of a smaller vehicle. And at 21mpg hiway, 15 city, it's not bad for a vehicle that size.

What savings we might realize on a long trip in a smaller vehicle, would be lost in spending on hotel rooms. We can configure the Expedition to sleep in quite nicely.

Assigning blame to humans and especially Americans at this stage of our understanding is irresponsible.

Looking to bio-fuels as the end-all answer to todays problems is irresponsible given the current shotfalls in supply, MPG, performance and long term effects on engines. It is a source that deserves more R&D and may be helpful at some point.

Given Al Gore's political bents, aspirations and past history, giving him and his movie credence as the absolte truth of what is happening is highly irresponsible. He and all the contributors behind him have axes to grind that do not necessarily benefit anyone but themselves.

Do not confuse me with being a Bush supporter. While I do agree more with Bush's policies than others, I believe he was mearly the lesser of two evils. I am a Conservative not a Republican.

I do not agree with oil companies policies, but am a realist. We are addicted to oil and for the present need to keep the wheels of industry and commerce rolling on that source of energy. However, it does benefit us all to make a dramatic change to something less harmful as soon as possible. That said however, we cannot bring the world to a screeching halt simply because some scientists with their own prejudices, political leanings, frailties and faults tell us the sky is falling and it is our fault.

Yes, the planet is getting warmer. I agree with that. Our planet goes through changes all the time. Geology teaches us that there was once (at least once) lush, tropical forests where there is now miles of ice. Ours is not a static climate.

Is it my fault that the planet is warming becasue I drive a pickup, have a propane grill, burn wood in my fireplace and have a PC whose plastic is derived from crude oil?

I highly doubt it. I do not doubt that humans have some level of contribution, but it is my belief that our part is minor. H@Andy has post #170 that makes a lot of sense.

Now, I am going to go fire up the propane grill, drive our SUV and enjoy some Independence Day week celebration.
 
China was the main reason we did not sign the Kyoto treaty, I thought....

I admit ignorance about this, but I was under the impression that the incentives were not there for developing countries to be compliant and it really only penalized us, which did not serve a real impact in a positive way in the BIG picture when India and China get up to speed. The incentives were reversed, in a way, for developing countries to strive for efficiency.

note to self: get spell check on lap-top or risk looking idiotic. more idiotic.

Thanks, cause I need the SUV to raise good citizens of the world.
 
catherine96821:
China was the main reason we did not sign the Kyoto treaty, I thought....

I admit ignorance about this, but I was under the impression that the incentives were not there for developing countries to be compliant and it really only penalized us, which did not serve a real impact in a positive way in the BIG picture when India and China get up to speed. The incentives were reversed, in a way, for developing countries to strive for efficiency.

note to self: get spell check on lap-top or risk looking idiotic. more idiotic.

Thanks, cause I need the SUV to raise good citizens of the world.

China was one reason, but I think we were actually being realistic about total economic impact vs. quantifiable and verifiable change. As it stands, Kyoto is pretty much dead in the water with the signatories either dropping out or completely missing their targets. We were honest about it and got lambasted, yet nary a mention of member states missing their targets by a wide margin. Well intentioned, I suppose, but...
 

Back
Top Bottom