Keith, I did not mean to imply that YOU were bashing...your posts seem very balanced as a whole. But I must take some issue with your "massively disproportionate amount of the world's energy" and the "needing the inefficient cars you make there".
Last time I looked the North American continent produced a huge amount of the worlds food. A massively disproportionate amount. Is this where we should start cutting back? The fuel use in growing, transporting, and processing foodstuffs is substantial. Heating and cooling also account for a huge amount of our massively disproportionate energy use. Unlike Europe North America consists of small temperate zones and large tracts of largely inhospitable climate zones. Is this where we should cut back? Not a realistic possibility. The simplistic solution of all Americans driving more fuel efficient autos is not a solution at all. It is a diversion. One interested poster suggested that Australia is a comparably large and spread out country that does not use more than its' fair share of energy. Last time I looked the vast majority of Aussies lived in a very small part of the nation and much of the rest was largely underutilized. Not a valid comparison. I cannot defend the "ugly American" stereotype that is (too) often presented as the average American but it like most if not all stereotypes is not a useful or accurate view. We are (in general) a wealthy country when compared to the rest of the world but this generalization is only marginally useful since we also have a good portion of our population that is "poverty stricken". I was at one time in my life what could best be described as an American peasant, raising my own food, living in a shack I built from local materials, no electricity, no running water, heating and cooking with wood. I experienced some very harsh life for nearly 2 decades as did my family. Yet during this time I knew I was fortunate to live in North America as I had a chance of pulling myself out of poverty and many other peasants in the world did not. I am not sure that opportunity still exists in the US. I know it is getting more and more difficult every year, and much of this is due to higher energy prices...which tend to concentrate wealth and is mainly borne by the low and middle income citizens. YES, I agree that there are large inefficient autos built in North America...as well as Europe. There are also small efficient autos. We have a mix, and in general everyone except the very rich (who will be largely unaffected by energy prices) purchase and use the most efficient vehicle they can afford. Can we do better? Of course! And YES, I agree that in general Americans are too soft, most having never experienced true deprivation, and often are too quick to whine about discomforts. BUT. The "solutions" proposed of a "good bashing" and US$5 a gallon gas are at best ineffective and at worst counterproductive. Higher gas cost in the US would invariably cause a shift in power to the very folks who don't give a damn about anything but their own greed. This is a small and exclusive group...and definitely not the average American. So, if we have gotten beyond the (admitted) bashing...how about some constructive ideas that have the possibility of making the world situation better...without plunging more Americans into poverty. Believe me, when I am offered a workable solution I do everything within my power to get it in place. And I know from experience that I can make a difference...Although it is beyond my ability to improve the infrastructure that is the cause of the study you cite. Dana Linscott snip __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Get personalized email addresses from Yahoo! Mail http://personal.mail.yahoo.com/ Biofuel at Journey to Forever: http://journeytoforever.org/biofuel.html Please do NOT send "unsubscribe" messages to the list address. To unsubscribe, send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
