Obama: "We can't...eat as much as we want"

[chri'stina 190]

There is some hypocrisy though. While what Obama said has the intentions of lessening our consumption, if he does go riding around in the SUVs and flying everywhere using tons of gas, it means the idea isn't put into action by him either.

I had a Consumer Culture class in college and we had to read articles by a guy who was really into helping the environment, anti-McDonald's and big corporations, and people using a lot of gas. He has some influence, but I don't remember his name. He had some good points. Then one day one of the articles was about how even though he held all those "ideas", he was commuting 40 miles to work, eating at McDonald's sometimes, and hardly did anything he was pushing others to do because it wasn't practical for him. I was so disappointed in him and wondered why we even had to read his articles and opinions when he was a complete hypocrite. The teacher was like, oh...well he has good ideas. That totally annoyed me.

Very good points. I just wonder how he's supposed to campaign at the level the others campaign since not all potential voters really have the environment on the top of their priority list. Those VJers on the Obama campaign should raise these points to see if they can come up with more green campaign tactics.

I understand that if they want to gain popularity, they have to travel all over. And for safety, they have to ride around in big safe vehicles...but they should also admit they are not doing what they are asking others to do. And then make a point about how they personally will try harder or something.

[HAL 9000 96]

I dont see anythong wrong with what he said.

and what is wrong with adressing the wrongs and rights of the us. In order for him to be a good leader he should not be afraid of addressing the wrongs, there are many things that the US can do to address these problems.

and very informative chart Jenn!

The premise is that since a campaigning politician doesn't follow strictly green policies, he should just stfu and do nothing while the overconsumption continues unhindered. Which couldn't me more counterproductive to all of us waking up and doing something about our well-known bulging waist line in many senses.

[Sister Fracas 5]

There is some hypocrisy though. While what Obama said has the intentions of lessening our consumption, if he does go riding around in the SUVs and flying everywhere using tons of gas, it means the idea isn't put into action by him either.

I had a Consumer Culture class in college and we had to read articles by a guy who was really into helping the environment, anti-McDonald's and big corporations, and people using a lot of gas. He has some influence, but I don't remember his name. He had some good points. Then one day one of the articles was about how even though he held all those "ideas", he was commuting 40 miles to work, eating at McDonald's sometimes, and hardly did anything he was pushing others to do because it wasn't practical for him. I was so disappointed in him and wondered why we even had to read his articles and opinions when he was a complete hypocrite. The teacher was like, oh...well he has good ideas. That totally annoyed me.

Thanks Stina! You got my point!

no, that was Stina's point....not yours...at all.

Anywhoooo...yes, it is unfortunate that he does have to be jetting everywhere, but I just don't see how anyone today could run a campaign from one office. You DO have to get out amongst the people. We don't know how green any of the candidates are in their daily lives...we don't know if they buy from local, sustainable farmers, how they reduce their consumption, etc.

[Jenn! 918]

I think it's going to take more than just some increased awareness and remembering to flip the light switch off. It will be a complete change in our culture, which is unlikely.

I think the focus of Obama's point was other countries' reactions to our disproportionate consumption of the world's resources.

[HAL 9000 96]

There is some hypocrisy though. While what Obama said has the intentions of lessening our consumption, if he does go riding around in the SUVs and flying everywhere using tons of gas, it means the idea isn't put into action by him either.

I had a Consumer Culture class in college and we had to read articles by a guy who was really into helping the environment, anti-McDonald's and big corporations, and people using a lot of gas. He has some influence, but I don't remember his name. He had some good points. Then one day one of the articles was about how even though he held all those "ideas", he was commuting 40 miles to work, eating at McDonald's sometimes, and hardly did anything he was pushing others to do because it wasn't practical for him. I was so disappointed in him and wondered why we even had to read his articles and opinions when he was a complete hypocrite. The teacher was like, oh...well he has good ideas. That totally annoyed me.

Very good points. I just wonder how he's supposed to campaign at the level the others campaign since not all potential voters really have the environment on the top of their priority list. Those VJers on the Obama campaign should raise these points to see if they can come up with more green campaign tactics.

I understand that if they want to gain popularity, they have to travel all over. And for safety, they have to ride around in big safe vehicles...but they should also admit they are not doing what they are asking others to do. And then make a point about how they personally will try harder or something.

They should do that. He should also ask the Secret Service to switch to Hybrid Ford Escapes

I think it's going to take more than just some increased awareness and remembering to flip the light switch off. It will be a complete change in our culture, which is unlikely.

I think the focus of Obama's point was other countries' reactions to our disproportionate consumption of the world's resources.

Which goes far beyond one man's consumption level as compared to overconsuming more than what we need.

[AlHayatZween 2]

The U.S. has 4% of the world's population yet uses 22% of the world's energy resources. Can we expect not to be held accountable for this by the rest of the world?

More U.S. guilt! The other 78%?

what about China and India?

Maybe pictures will help...

good chart!

[Trumplestiltskin 5,791]

Try as I might I can't imagine Barack Obama as a Jabba the Hutt/Silvio Berlusconi type.

[Sister Fracas 5]

I think it's going to take more than just some increased awareness and remembering to flip the light switch off. It will be a complete change in our culture, which is unlikely.

I agree, especially when people feel that their rights to consume however they see fit is more important.

"it's my right to own a Hummer if I damn well want to and I will drive it 2 minutes to the gocery store 40 times a day , if I damn well please"

Edited May 19, 2008 by Sister Fracas

[nana_356 0]

I was watching an interesting program the other day, and they were speaking about how all the US companies care to do is only meet the demand of people in the US, no matter how far, or how much.

I do feel that part of being in the US is to enjoy and live life to the fullest, but that does not mean to be wasteful. and I am not saying that the govt. should ration our consumption (people would go crazy) But maybe if leaders (as Obama) raise the issue, more and more people would pay more attention to their consumption. Because while in the US we have the freedom to use our day to day amenities as often as we like, we also have the freedom to pay a little more attention to how often we use these things.

I feel that most people are decent people, but are just ill informed. That is why iam glad obama said what he said.

[rika60607 215]

I think Obama was right...

SUVs, poor buildings quality=huge heating bills, big houses, eating at restaurants often, must have that new flat screen TV NOW attitude...

This leads nowhere...

Rika

[Chica Yeyé 41]

I think it's going to take more than just some increased awareness and remembering to flip the light switch off. It will be a complete change in our culture, which is unlikely.

I agree, especially when people feel that their rights to consume however they see fit is more important.

"it's my right to own a Hummer if I damn well want to and I will drive it 2 minutes to the gocery store 40 times a day , if I damn well please"

HEY! Nobody told me I had the right to a Hummer where do I sign??????????????????

[Pinocchio Liberal 268]

It was lunchtime in one of Haiti's worst slums, and Charlene Dumas was eating mud.

With food prices rising, Haiti's poorest can't afford even a daily plate of rice, and some must take desperate measures to fill their bellies.

The mud has long been prized by pregnant women and children here as an antacid and source of calcium. But in places such as Cité Soleil, the oceanside slum where Charlene shares a two-room house with her baby, five siblings, and two unemployed parents, cookies made of dirt, salt, and vegetable shortening have become a regular meal.

"When my mother does not cook anything, I have to eat them three times a day," Charlene said. Her baby, named Woodson, lay still across her lap, looking even thinner than the slim 6 pounds, 3 ounces (2.7 kilograms, 85 grams) he weighed at birth.

Though she likes their buttery, salty taste, Charlene said the cookies also give her stomach pains. "When I nurse, the baby sometimes seems colicky too," she said.

Food Prices Up

Food prices around the world have spiked because of higher oil prices, needed for fertilizer, irrigation, and transportation. Prices for basic ingredients such as corn and wheat are also up sharply, and the increasing global demand for biofuels is pressuring food markets as well.

The problem is particularly dire in the Caribbean, where island nations depend on imports and food prices are up 40 percent in places.

The global price hikes, together with floods and crop damage from the 2007 hurricane season, prompted the UN Food and Agriculture Agency to declare states of emergency in Haiti and several other Caribbean countries.

http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/20...aiti-eatin.html

Better get to drillin or its gonna get worse!

Edited May 19, 2008 by CarolsMarc

[Ban Hammer 13,347]

HEY! Nobody told me I had the right to a Hummer where do I sign??????????????????

as soon as you can afford the payments, you have the right to one

[warriorprincess 0]

Your at a restaurant eating, the person sitting next to you says "your eating to much" I'm sure your response would be "thanks for telling me that,Please take from my plate what you see fit"

that's a bad idea when i have a fork and knife in my hands

I totally agree with you charlesandnessa. Touch my plate and die

[Pinocchio Liberal 268]

Your at a restaurant eating, the person sitting next to you says "your eating to much" I'm sure your response would be "thanks for telling me that,Please take from my plate what you see fit"

that's a bad idea when i have a fork and knife in my hands

I totally agree with you charlesandnessa. Touch my plate and die

I will take the combo plate with all the fixins.