Quote:
Originally Posted by Steve Jordan
Ah-- the "Two wrongs make a right" argument... let the world go to Hell since they all hate us anyway... Maybe it's time for Americans to Lighten Up.
Actually, they are being told to do without, and many of them are already doing a better job at it than we are (those that had it at one time to do without, that is). And the US, as the country that would have to bite the bullet hardest by doing without, and would have the biggest impact (because we use so much more per person/per capita than any other country) are being looked to, to set the good example for others ("If we can do it, so can you!")... not to whine that "nobody likes us"...
That's not all of the answer... the rest is sensible use of the resources and technology we have, so we don't need the equivalent of a nuke plant on every block. That's what we've been avoiding for the past 50+ years, and what we can no longer afford to do.
Being intentionally selfish and petulant and wilfully damaging the environment because we don't feel "liked," is only making the US look even worse. We could instead show some stones by standing up and doing the right thing, not to be liked, but because it's the right thing to do. I don't want to believe "Get off my lawn!" has become the national motto.
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Steve, in 30 years the biggest problem in the US grid will be handling peak load on sunny July days from all the solar rooftops. And those rooftop won't be there from government mandate but from a combination of high bills for generated power and (then) low cost of solar. I expect my sprawling hog of a house will be above energy breakeven, with the excess probably going to an electric car. But until then, I'm not going to plow down my house and live in a 30 Sq meter closet on a rail line to make other people feel better. And I don't see China or Inda turning back
their development clock, either. But it's always the Americans at fault.....
And "Get Off My Lawn" is a proud rallying cry for freedom.
(Oh, and by the way, I run CFL in my hog of a house. With a 10 month payback to profit, of course I did. After 10 months, I have more money for gasoline....
