Well reasoned and well said.... I agree that many stand in the no smoking section, to follow your example, and assume noone else is bothered. There are some companies in the US that moved to Mexico about 15 years ago and did just that with harmful results. That was greed. Most people aren't necessarily greedy but just don't care, lazy etc. Most people won't change their lifestyle to ensure that our environment is less polluted because that means they would have to "do something" or "spend extra money". Most people don't get that we (talking about american citizens in this case) always end up paying for it one way or another.
Also, the true costs are ignored because our government (USA) gets paid to ignore them. They make so much money from gasoline, booze and cigarrettes (can't spell) that we will always have them around. If people who used these items had to pay the real costs, they would cease to be sold or alternates found. The original message talked about a new "group" that would collect this wonderful money that the evil companies would pay which would then be distributed to all the poor downtrodden masses. You know our government would step in and create a program, waste half the money and "share the rest with us". Our $1000 would be more like $5. and then our energy costs would go up by $100 because the money has to come from somewhere. When you add it all up, all US citizens pay the costs of all the stuff that goes on here. You can't charge a company more and just assume that the money magically appears out of nowhere and we all get rich. It would be more reasonable to have everyone in the US decrease electrical usage by 5% or drive their car 1 year longer or.... This would have more effect than all the regulations in the world. As with anything, companies always pass their costs along to the end user. To draw the biofuel issue into the mix... I am learning a great deal about making alternate fuels on this list. The discussions all look promising and seem to indicate that we are on the verge of using biofuels on a larger scale. As with many paradigm shifts (which using an alternate to petroleum really is) it will probably take a bunch of individual people prooving out the economics for biofuel on the small scale, then scaling up bigger and bigger..... Until someone has a full scale production facility and becomes the next Phillips non-Petroleum. Or as more likely, getting big enough so the big oil companies buy the process and take over production. I would stake my next cup of coffee that if big oil companies could be shown that biofuel is more profitable than the present petroleum process, they would be into it before your could blink. All you biofuelers out there keep up the good work. BRAD --- Dana Linscott <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > To get back to what I think was the original thought > on this subject; > Is it excessive greed that causes whole societies to > ignore that their pollution is causing problems > downstream or downwind, preferring to believe that > if > they stay in the "smoking section" it does not > affect > those in the non-smoking section 3 feet distant. > Yes. It is. > > And unfortunately, many societies, I would dare say > most, are essentially ruled by their most > excessively > greedy members. > Am I shouting "abandon all hope"? Not at all. I am > encouraging all who will listen to decide early on > in > life what constitutes "enough" and to stick with > that > decision. You will be happier...I guarantee it. > Spread > this idea of "enough" and show others as I try to > that > "enough" aids in personal happiness much more than > "need more" as a basis to judge your self. Generally > I > have seen those that decided "I have enough" ended > up > with more than enough on a regular basis after > reaching that point. Invest what ever you have that > is > "more than enough" in helping others to decide what > enough is and the idea spreads like a virus. > > I have also spent much of my "more than enough" on > entertainment, essentially. I "invest" it in > programs > designed to hold those individuals responsible that > cause great pain to many others by refusing to act > responsibly. These "programs" actually force the > responsibility back upon those "excessively greedy" > individuals who profit at others expense by refusing > to act in an ethical or responsible manner simply > because they can legally do so. The entertainment > value of these programs far exceeds that of ,say > watching "The Simpsons" (an acerbic Fox animated > comedy) each night. It may also be helping in a > small > way to make a better world. > > I applaud you for having personal ethics that would > cause you to take a risk of quitting a job that > forced > you to support "ethically poor decisions". > > But if everyone wanted to drive Honda Insights they > would cost twice as much. I agree however that this > would stimulate more production of expensive > environmentally friendly cars. If however those > owners > of non environmentally friendly cars were forced to > pay the entire cost of such a car...there would be > no > environmentally unfriendly cars. > > Dana > > --- Brad Gordon <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > I can't believe that you paint business men with > > such > > a broad brush. You assume that becuase someone is > > interested in a profit that means at any cost? > > > > Profit is one of the greatest motivators there is. > > > The ability to make more so you can provide better > > for > > your children etc. I work for a large company and > > their rules of conduct are without question. I > > would > > not work for them otherwise. Would any of us have > > the > > jobs we have if they didn't help feed our > families. > > I > > can assure you though I would and have quit > working > > for a company that was managed by someone that > made > > ethically poor decisions. > > > > You seem to assume that just because someone has > > money > > they must have done something illegal to get it. > > > > I would disagree. > > > > The free market naturally drives money to those > > people > > who make things people want. If everyone wanted > to > > pay $26,000 for a Honda Insight instead of the old > > gas > > guzzling oil burning car they drive, we would have > > more cars like the Insight. > > > > BRAD > > > snip > > __________________________________________________ > Do You Yahoo!? > Send FREE video emails in Yahoo! Mail! > http://promo.yahoo.com/videomail/ > > 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/ > > __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Send FREE video emails in Yahoo! Mail! http://promo.yahoo.com/videomail/ ------------------------ Yahoo! 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