How Green Are you? Measure your Greendex! Calculator from National Geographic.

[Amby 490]

Do we "need" more than one pair of shoes? Do we "need" champagne? Do we "need" air conditioning? Not really.

I NEED air conditioning. I will melt without it. If I don't melt, someone else will probably commit suicide because they're so tired of listening to me b*tch about being hot

[mawilson 2,133]

Do we "need" more than one pair of shoes? Do we "need" champagne? Do we "need" air conditioning? Not really.

I NEED air conditioning. I will melt without it. If I don't melt, someone else will probably commit suicide because they're so tired of listening to me b*tch about being hot

Amby, it was a rhetorical question. I need champagne and shoes, too.

[Amby 490]

Do we "need" more than one pair of shoes? Do we "need" champagne? Do we "need" air conditioning? Not really.

I NEED air conditioning. I will melt without it. If I don't melt, someone else will probably commit suicide because they're so tired of listening to me b*tch about being hot

Amby, it was a rhetorical question. I need champagne and shoes, too.

ok good because even though I don't drink I need those things too

[Don_Joy's Prince 0]

39

[mawilson 2,133]

Do we "need" more than one pair of shoes? Do we "need" champagne? Do we "need" air conditioning? Not really.

I NEED air conditioning. I will melt without it. If I don't melt, someone else will probably commit suicide because they're so tired of listening to me b*tch about being hot

Amby, it was a rhetorical question. I need champagne and shoes, too.

ok good because even though I don't drink I need those things too

####### do you mean you don't drink? Are you a Muslim?

[Amby 490]

Do we "need" more than one pair of shoes? Do we "need" champagne? Do we "need" air conditioning? Not really.

I NEED air conditioning. I will melt without it. If I don't melt, someone else will probably commit suicide because they're so tired of listening to me b*tch about being hot

Amby, it was a rhetorical question. I need champagne and shoes, too.

ok good because even though I don't drink I need those things too

####### do you mean you don't drink? Are you a Muslim?

if I get drunk I want to have sex with everyone so I just don't drink. that solves the problem

[Pinocchio Liberal 268]

Is the government gonna provide me with two sticks to rub together?

[Reba 2]

44

[o0pink0o 3]

59

[Ban Hammer 13,352]

if I get drunk I want to have sex with everyone so I just don't drink. that solves the problem

it sure don't solve the problem for a horny guy

[HAL 9000 96]

if 5% of the world's population (applicable to each consumer nation) would adjust its [over]consumption of the world's resources to an amount more commensurate (proportional) with its fraction, we wouldn't be that concerned with CO2 or GW.

You go first. Sell your car, your house, and start living under "third world" conditions.

Do that for a few months, then come back here and tell us how you liked it.

See m, contrary to what you suggest, I am not asking Americans to be all-or-nothing idiots.

As I suggested, lets consume what we need, not what we want out of gluttony.

As for what I do in my own conscientious way is not that radical, really:

Recycle

Drive less, walk more. Take public transport more.

Seal windows in the winter, open them more in the summer (and pay less in the process, freakin' duh)

Eat healthier, fresh foods grown locally.

And other ridiculously third worldly things like that.

So how do I like it? I don't mind.

You also need to take into consideration your location. Some cities are better equipped and designed to accommodate walking and public transportation than others.

Let's compare Houston and Austin, for instance. Houston is generally considered the smallest of the four "Alpha" cities and therefore, the fourth largest city in the United States. There's a whole hell of a lot of people here and Houston covers an amazing amount of land. Austin, meanwhile is far smaller in both terms of geography and population, but still larger than a "town."

Due to Houston's overall size and number of people, it's become practically a necessity to own a car in order to get anywhere. It can easily take 30 minutes to drive anywhere, so walking is out of the question unless you happen to be exceedingly lucky and live near some essential stores places of interest. As for public transportation, Metro is next to useless. They have relatively few stops, are poorly scheduled, and due to the traffic on the roads and limitations placed on bus routes, going by bus can take even longer than going by car (with the added benefit of sitting next to someone you don't know who probably hasn't bathed in weeks).

Skip on over to Austin, and their public transportation scene is completely different. They have a free system called "the 'Dillo" were are refurbished trolley cars turned into buses and the "normal" buses are only 50 cents per person each way; a day-pass is $1.00 and a monthly-pass is $10.00, all for unlimited rides. If you work for the government (Austin is the Texas capital) or work for or go to school at the University of Texas, bus rides are free as well. As for walking, it seemed to be okay when my wife and I were there, but to be fair, we were only hanging around the downtown area and even in Houston walking is fine there. I'd have too imagine a car is needed more if you lived in the suburbs.

All an extremely valid point of view from the current state of reality... but that can be changed by adjusting to locally-appropriate systems to get around. For one, Houston is going to have to get over its Oil Tycoon McMansion-ism drive and build a real city that can accomodate its urban region. It is incredibly sprawled out and better urban planning can drive the city to improve its public transport system to better reflect the urban spread within reasonable city limits. This could coincidentally improve living conditions inside these areas and build the city up instead of out.

[HAL 9000 96]

As I suggested, lets consume what we need, not what we want out of gluttony.

We "need" very little. If we start consuming only what we "need", we'll be essentially living in third world conditions.

Do we "need" more than one pair of shoes? Do we "need" champagne? Do we "need" air conditioning? Not really.

Recycle

Sure.

Drive less, walk more. Take public transport more.

I like driving. I hate public transport. Walk more? Sure - it's good for my health.

Seal windows in the winter, open them more in the summer (and pay less in the process, freakin' duh)

Obviously.

Eat healthier, fresh foods grown locally.

Sounds great.

All simple solutions... but, the emphasis is on gluttony, not being an all-or-nothing idiot. Between third world and glutton there is a major gray area that could be accomodated only if people wouldn't be so freakin stupid about consuming to be comfortable (= need plus a little more, not = need plus way too much). The environment can adjust wonders to just a little overconsumption.

Besides, you are only considering the all-or-noting aspect of resource consumption. Like its well documented, we (5%) consume roughly more than 25%. I could imagine that if 5% consumed 10% that still wouldn't be third world status, would it?

[diadromous mermaid 36]

59 for me. I drive pure electric, 100% emissions-free. hydrocarbon free, and I recycle, and I rarely consume meat, poultry or pork, but I live in a home that is a little older without good glazing and I like my imported Swiss and British sweets. All in all, not a bad score.

Edited May 9, 2008 by diadromous mermaid

[DeadPoolX 9]

if 5% of the world's population (applicable to each consumer nation) would adjust its [over]consumption of the world's resources to an amount more commensurate (proportional) with its fraction, we wouldn't be that concerned with CO2 or GW.

You go first. Sell your car, your house, and start living under "third world" conditions.

Do that for a few months, then come back here and tell us how you liked it.

See m, contrary to what you suggest, I am not asking Americans to be all-or-nothing idiots.

As I suggested, lets consume what we need, not what we want out of gluttony.

As for what I do in my own conscientious way is not that radical, really:

Recycle

Drive less, walk more. Take public transport more.

Seal windows in the winter, open them more in the summer (and pay less in the process, freakin' duh)

Eat healthier, fresh foods grown locally.

And other ridiculously third worldly things like that.

So how do I like it? I don't mind.

You also need to take into consideration your location. Some cities are better equipped and designed to accommodate walking and public transportation than others.

Let's compare Houston and Austin, for instance. Houston is generally considered the smallest of the four "Alpha" cities and therefore, the fourth largest city in the United States. There's a whole hell of a lot of people here and Houston covers an amazing amount of land. Austin, meanwhile is far smaller in both terms of geography and population, but still larger than a "town."

Due to Houston's overall size and number of people, it's become practically a necessity to own a car in order to get anywhere. It can easily take 30 minutes to drive anywhere, so walking is out of the question unless you happen to be exceedingly lucky and live near some essential stores places of interest. As for public transportation, Metro is next to useless. They have relatively few stops, are poorly scheduled, and due to the traffic on the roads and limitations placed on bus routes, going by bus can take even longer than going by car (with the added benefit of sitting next to someone you don't know who probably hasn't bathed in weeks).

Skip on over to Austin, and their public transportation scene is completely different. They have a free system called "the 'Dillo" were are refurbished trolley cars turned into buses and the "normal" buses are only 50 cents per person each way; a day-pass is $1.00 and a monthly-pass is $10.00, all for unlimited rides. If you work for the government (Austin is the Texas capital) or work for or go to school at the University of Texas, bus rides are free as well. As for walking, it seemed to be okay when my wife and I were there, but to be fair, we were only hanging around the downtown area and even in Houston walking is fine there. I'd have too imagine a car is needed more if you lived in the suburbs.

All an extremely valid point of view from the current state of reality... but that can be changed by adjusting to locally-appropriate systems to get around. For one, Houston is going to have to get over its Oil Tycoon McMansion-ism drive and build a real city that can accomodate its urban region. It is incredibly sprawled out and better urban planning can drive the city to improve its public transport system to better reflect the urban spread within reasonable city limits. This could coincidentally improve living conditions inside these areas and build the city up instead of out.

I'm not disagreeing, but that would require a drastic redesign of how Houston operates. I don't see that happening any time soon, if ever. In addition, the city government is attempting to "build out" instead of "build up." Because Houston lacks zoning laws, this city has been expanding for years and swallowing up smaller cities and towns on the way. I think it's Houston's plan to continue spreading all over Texas until it's no longer "the state of Texas" but "the state of Houston."

[Scott & Lai 12]

As I suggested, lets consume what we need, not what we want out of gluttony.

We "need" very little. If we start consuming only what we "need", we'll be essentially living in third world conditions.

Do we "need" more than one pair of shoes? Do we "need" champagne? Do we "need" air conditioning? Not really.

Recycle

Sure.

Drive less, walk more. Take public transport more.

I like driving. I hate public transport. Walk more? Sure - it's good for my health.

Seal windows in the winter, open them more in the summer (and pay less in the process, freakin' duh)

Obviously.

Eat healthier, fresh foods grown locally.

Sounds great.

All simple solutions... but, the emphasis is on gluttony, not being an all-or-nothing idiot. Between third world and glutton there is a major gray area that could be accomodated only if people wouldn't be so freakin stupid about consuming to be comfortable (= need plus a little more, not = need plus way too much). The environment can adjust wonders to just a little overconsumption.

Besides, you are only considering the all-or-noting aspect of resource consumption. Like its well documented, we (5%) consume roughly more than 25%. I could imagine that if 5% consumed 10% that still wouldn't be third world status, would it?

That's a 60% reduction, not exactly a moderate change...