[Bikies] Re: DNR Promotes ATV's

[Doug Adler]

Perhaps what got us into this mess is rigid ideology instead of compromise that drove many away from green thinking. My point about CAFE is that if you really want to reduce global warming, we should focus our efforts on the major contributors, and that ain't ATV's.  Gas mileage and commuting are. I agree that ideally we wouldn't have ATVs.  But they are here, and the DNR is already in charge of managing their use on state lands.  They also manage powerboats and snowmobiles, and one of their charters is to "to provide a clean environment and a full range of outdoor recreational opportunities for Wisconsin citizens and visitors".   The DNR is under constant pressure to open up more land to ATV users.  If an ATV park is the best way to do that while protecting other areas, great.  A hard line just alienates people who could otherwise be supportive of preservation efforts.  Many ATV users are outdoor types who are likely to hunt and fish and care about wild areas.  They are not all lazy quarry riding adrenaline junkies.  Maybe we should ban motorboats and snowmobiles too.  And while you're at it ban river canoeing, cause those lazy people drive two cars so they can float downriver to a waiting vehicle.  And ban all roads into state lands, because that promotes wasteful polluting driving to these sensitive areas just so those lazy people can get out and walk around a little bit.  And move into mud and straw huts, because these houses aren't sustainable. I think a little compromise is in order.   Doug Adler Space Science & Engineering Center University of Wisconsin-Madison [EMAIL PROTECTED] 608-265-9908 Subject: [Bikies] Re: DNR Promotes ATV's From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Date: Thu, 8 Jun 2006 08:01:50 -0500 To: bikies@danenet.org To: bikies@danenet.org 30 gallons of gas a year per ATV is MIINISCULE compared to auto use. Even .1 mpg CAFE increase would be huge compared to all ATVs. This is the kind of thinking that got us global warming in the first place. Greenhouse gases are continuing to accumulate in the atmosphere - they build up over time. There are also positive feedbacks that amplify the initially added amounts. There are also other "minuscule" sources of additional emissions (eg. snowmobiles, motorcycles, motor boats) that when all added together amount to not so minuscule accumulations. Furthermore, citing failed strategies such as the increasing the CAFE standards for autos, SUVs and light trucks as an excuse for continuing to burn fuel frivolously in ATVs just compounds the problem even more. We should all be doing anything and everything we can to reduce the amount of greenhouse gases we are collectively adding to the atmosphere. We should not underestimate the gravity of this situation. Unsustainable conditions are predicted for much of the world's population by the end of this century if we continue this line of thinking much longer. Our government leaders need to look ahead to the future and acknowledge the course we are on and do something about it - not purchase lands for increased use of gasoline powered ATV's. Our government agencies and institutions are failing to address the most serious threat facing the world and it's living populations (global warming) and instead are continuing to busy themselves with ideas that support the old way of doing things. This proposal is a prime example. Mike Neuman

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