So Jacob, do you see how an innocent post about bad shocks can start the snowball a-rolling??? Hope you get your Jeep problems straightened out! :)
I love this place!!! But it's now bed time. Cactch up to y'all in the morn! Erika With a k ------------------------------------------------------------ >>| -----Original Message----- >>| From: Jerry Johnson [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]] >>| Sent: 30 April 2002 22:44 >>| To: CF-Community >>| Subject: Re: Wasteful Americans (was Re: Jeep Grand Cherokee) >>| >>| >>| I certainly didn't mean YOU the messenger, I meant that >>| most Americans (and we are talking about the big-gulp >>| warehouse store buying general public, here) have a deep, >>| instant dislike to ANYONE telling them what they SHOULD do. >>| >>| Good or bad, it is this instant offense to authority that >>| makes us who we are as a nation. >>| >>| Demands from people they have no history and respect for >>| (people who have earned their authority) get met almost >>| universally with exactly the opposite behavior. >>| >>| Not very mature. Not necessarily a good thing. But I think >>| it is there in most Americans. >>| >>| So when people are told they should be ashamed of >>| themselves for doing something, they are most likely going >>| to do that thing again, with bells on top. >>| >>| So when people are wooed with marvelous ad campaigns >>| showing the wonderful lifestyle they are missing, and then >>| are told by someone they couldn't care less about "if you >>| buy that you are bad, bad, bad.", what do you think they >>| are going to do? They might buy it just out of spite. >>| >>| You say that people should be nice. That they should care >>| about the environment. >>| >>| I agree. But most people don't. They don't care about the >>| trees. Or the fish. Or about the person in the car in front >>| of them. They just don't. >>| >>| Education can help. When people see how they are DIRECTLY >>| and IMMEDIATELY effected by an environmental issue, they do >>| move to fix it. But our government (and society) works >>| mainly on a crisis management basis. This is true for the >>| environment, but also for schools, the military, roads, >>| corruption, you name it. >>| >>| People are not all that concerned about "future >>| generations". Look at the national deficit if you don't >>| believe me. It can't be good for our kids to be born in debt. >>| >>| If you want to change their behaviors, you need to use >>| exactly the same tools the car manufacturers are using, and >>| anti-sell the big, lumbering cars. >>| >>| For example, most SUV owners you ask will say they are >>| safer. Statistics absolutely prove this is wrong. I don't >>| even have an airbag. SUV owners will say they feel "cooler" >>| in their car than in a mini-van. Then why don't I have a >>| girlfriend? I bought the darn car... >>| >>| Saying that people "should" do anything isn't going to >>| effect change (neither is this email, but I'm typing >>| merrily along anyway). >>| >>| Overcoming human nature is a very unnatural thing to do. It >>| isn't easy. And it won't be quick. But it is worth the effort. >>| >>| As for my mentioning of the "green tax", I mean that our >>| consumer-based society (for the most part) has completely >>| got this "environmentally friendly" thing exactly wrong. >>| Most "green" products cost more than their non-green >>| counterparts. In some cases this is due to increased >>| production costs, but usually it is a "all the market will >>| bear" attitude by manufacturers and retailers. This in >>| turn has turned people off from buying green products >>| (people who are more than willing to help, but aren't >>| really willing to SACRIFICE for the cause) There is now the >>| perception that green products will cost more and not >>| perform as well. >>| >>| Instead, there should be a green "break". Green products >>| should cost less. As an example, the electric company in my >>| town offers free flourescent bulbs to replace regular bulbs >>| in your house. Since they are less landfill friendly, they >>| also have a collection program. It is cheaper for them than >>| having to build another power plant, so they are actually >>| saving money, and passing those savings along to consumers >>| in the form of a greener product. (less power, lasts longer) >>| >>| We should be creating incentives to "do the right thing". >>| Maybe even a carrot-and-stick approach. >>| >>| Too much talking. Sorry to ramble so. >>| >>| Jerry Johnson >>| >>| >>> [EMAIL PROTECTED] 04/30/02 05:11PM >>> >>| > I own a Jeep, but I own a bike and a pair of shoes. >>| > >>| > I try to use all of them in their proper time and place. >>| >>| Note that I have no problem with SUVs - they are useful >>| vehicles. My beef is with the Proud and Wasteful consumers. >>| >>| > As for the "typical American" attitude towards the environment, I >>| > think >>| that is almost as much due to the messenger as the message. >>| >>| LOL, Jerry, one of your fellow Americans (and mine) just >>| said that More is the American Way, proudly, so its not >>| just me that thinks so. >>| >>| > I think there is a knee-jerk response to most attempts to force >>| environmental concerns down people's throats. >>| >>| The point is that folks should care without having them >>| forced down their throats. >>| >>| > As soon as environmentally friendly products are as useful and as >>| > cheap as >>| their "dirty" counterparts, people will switch in droves. >>| >>| Not really - the vehicle trend now is towards ridiculously >>| large. How many people need all the room a suburban has? >>| >>| > Asking people to give up their way of living for "the >>| greater good" I >>| > feel >>| is not taking basic human nature into account. >>| >>| I think then, we need to overcome our basic human nature >>| and teach our kids to care about each other and the planet. >>| >>| > And we need to start selling environmentally friendly products as >>| PRODUCTS, and not tacking on a politically-correct "green" tax. >>| >>| What specifically are you speaking to here? >>| >>| >>| ____________________________________________________________ >>| __________ >>| Your ad could be here. 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