:cornut: Do you mean the one that wiped out the Dinosaurs 65 million yrs. ago such that we could come along and take over and buy MINI Coopers? Jason
Look Dave - I am not trying to preach global warming. The fact is that we do not completely understand what, if any impact we have on the planet...and anyone who thinks they have the answer.. on either side of the debate is simply wrong. I like my MINI and don't want a Prius or hybrid. My college thesis was on electric vehicles. ( I even built a few...one out of a Fiat 128... what a piece of crap) Cradle to Grave - EV's have a bigger environmental footprint than an efficient gas engine vehicle. As far as I am concerned the idea that they are "greener" is a hoax. I don't disagree when you say that "The EARTH is always changing and MAN can't not control it ". But we don't have to look far to see that we do make an impact. Take the Heat Island effect as just one example...where communities downwind of a large city see greater rainfall than those upwind. Essentially we have changed the weather patterns near large cities. This is a well documented phenomenon....Are we going to change this..? Nope, not likely. Urban heat island - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia We can agree to disagree on the details...and I respect those who feel differently than I do.
Your the first "green" person I've ever heard say this. Thank you. When taking into consideration "climate change" the data needs to be looked at over more years then the current "studies" have. When that is added in what we are going through is just a normal cycle. The earth has been warmer and colder. The temps in the UK were warm enough to grow wine grapes before the mini ice age and still haven't even got back to that point yet.
And now it's global COOLING! Return of Arctic ice cap as it grows by 29% in a year | Mail Online Global freezing
I'm environmentally conscious but not stupid. Electric cars are a diaper load of crap. Look at all the heavy metals in the electronics and batteries...never mind that much of the rare earth materials come from China...and almost nowhere else. (That's a great idea... Staking the auto industry on the whims of a communist country... dumb) The batteries have a finite life...and will eventually need to be replaced to the tune of thousands of dollars. Take the Tesla... Ooh all the great reviews. Beautiful car..fast car... ... But 85 large ? 250 mile range? Takes hours to "refuel"? No recharging infrastructure? Really? I mean REALLY? How practical is that? Electric motors are great but the batteries - even the new über high end ones are the Achilles heel. Hybrids are almost as bad. How much energy must be spent to make some of these exotic components? And then how do we get rid of these materials (some toxic) when the car is spent..? It's bull ! And the auto companies are cashing in... I proved to a guy I work with that his Accord hybrid that he was bragging up would end up costing him more $$ over its life that the slightly less fuel efficient standard gas model. His response...? "But the ads and the dealer said....." Ethanol in our gas? Another dumb idea...and I believe worse for the environment too. I think clean diesel is a much better approach. Whew... Sorry for the long rant!
If the greenies were around for the last mini ice age who in the hell would they have blamed for that, huh?!
I am currently experiencing global warming right now. Its now 46 degrees outside and all the effing snow and ice is melting. Yeah Hoo! :lol: SPRING IS COMING!
My thoughts on the environment are similar to my thoughts on my own health...do just enough to keep it in shape, so I can abuse the hell out of it every so often.:cornut: I hear people talk about doing everything we can to protect the planet for future generations. I figure I won't know any of them beyond my grandchildren or great nieces/nephews, so I'll only worry about doing what I can until it is their turn to take the reins.
Yeah, those miserable scientists (well, just 99% of them), trying to line their pockets by pretending climate change exists and is caused by humans. It's lucky we have so many rich people with shares in oil companies to keep us straight on this subject, eh? The next thing you know, the scientists will be trying to line their pockets by pretending that cigarettes cause cancer. Luckily I know Philip Morris personally and he told me that's all bunkum. And he's really rich, so it must be true.
It take more energy to make and transport paper bags than plastic ones and the plastic bags are recyclable. Not to mention cutting down all those poor trees just for a sack.:eek6:
I use some nice fabric bags I got from LOWES of all places. (Only a buck each) They are very strong and they last. I can put lots of heavy stuff in them and they don't rip like paper or the plastic crap bags. Since I am the one that has to carry everything into the house. :smile5:
Just remember to wash those suckers every once in awhile. They have found those bags are like petri dishes for bacteria.....
But when you bury a paper bag, you sequester carbon....and a new tree is planted... Win...win...if the bag is recyled/reused ....extra use...if it is burned...it is the same as burning a wood chip....renewable fuel....
Isn't discussing/arguing about which single-use disposable grocery bag is 'more green' getting dangerously close to the question about the number of angels that fit on the head of a pin? Isn't anything reusable better? We may yet have to work out how to go back to reusing things like glass jars and bottles - a system that used to work satisfactorily in most countries at one time. And my oddball environmental impact issue is pedal cycles - I am an enthusiastic cyclist but was fascinated to see a study (Australian, I think) some years ago that suggested that cycles aren't any better than cars for environmental impact. The calculation went that the embodied energy (used to produce a cycle) is significant and a lot of cycles are bought, ridden once or twice and then sit on the garage wall. It was estimated that the average lifetime mileage for all pedal cycles was 200 miles and over that distance, the embodied energy makes them 'less green' than a car. Now there's always a get-out clause and I recently replaced my last bike after 15,000 miles of use, so I'm not too worried about this issue - indeed my old cycle went to a local voluntary scheme where old cycles, or usable bits of unusable cycles, are shipped to Africa for further use. But then there's the energy of shipping them to Africa, so you can't win.....
I've got two bikes with low miles on each. They too hang from the garage ceiling as you suggest most may. They're likely to stay that way, as I'm a proponent of my fossil fueled vehicles hauling my a$$ where ever I want to go...