Comments on: Earth Hour and Two Heels per Loaf http://themoderatevoice.com/18690/earth-hour-and-two-heels-per-loaf/ An Internet hub with domestic and international news, analysis, original reporting, and popular features from the left, center, indies, centrists, moderates, and right Wed, 15 Feb 2012 10:08:52 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.1.2 By: Parableman http://themoderatevoice.com/18690/earth-hour-and-two-heels-per-loaf/comment-page-1/#comment-123883 Parableman Wed, 02 Apr 2008 05:30:46 +0000 http://themoderatevoice.com/science/environment/environmental-issues/18690/earth-hour-and-two-heels-per-loaf/#comment-123883 Or you can turn your lights off when you're not using them and turn them on when you are, even if it's during an arbitrarily-selected hour that people have chosen to make themselves feel better about using power at other times. I had work to do during Earth Hour, so I gladly kept the lights that I needed on. I turned them off when I was done. If people want to make a show out of easing their conscience, it's pretty lame to expect others to do it just to feel frugal. It's much better to encourage other people be frugal all the time and not to highlight arbitrary times as special when they're not. Or you can turn your lights off when you're not using them and turn them on when you are, even if it's during an arbitrarily-selected hour that people have chosen to make themselves feel better about using power at other times. I had work to do during Earth Hour, so I gladly kept the lights that I needed on. I turned them off when I was done. If people want to make a show out of easing their conscience, it's pretty lame to expect others to do it just to feel frugal. It's much better to encourage other people be frugal all the time and not to highlight arbitrary times as special when they're not.

]]> By: PaulSilver http://themoderatevoice.com/18690/earth-hour-and-two-heels-per-loaf/comment-page-1/#comment-123880 PaulSilver Mon, 31 Mar 2008 19:19:54 +0000 http://themoderatevoice.com/science/environment/environmental-issues/18690/earth-hour-and-two-heels-per-loaf/#comment-123880 My folks grew up during the depression and were always frugal. My mom worked for an insurance company in the mail room. A small percentage of the stamps on the incoming mail was not canceled and she would save the stamps. When she passed on we found thousands of uncancelled stamps in bags along with rubber bands, pads of paper, etc I am surprised at how much less stuff I use when I make conscious choices about disposable items.. My folks grew up during the depression and were always frugal. My mom worked for an insurance company in the mail room. A small percentage of the stamps on the incoming mail was not canceled and she would save the stamps. When she passed on we found thousands of uncancelled stamps in bags along with rubber bands, pads of paper, etc I am surprised at how much less stuff I use when I make conscious choices about disposable items..

]]> By: GreenDreams http://themoderatevoice.com/18690/earth-hour-and-two-heels-per-loaf/comment-page-1/#comment-123878 GreenDreams Mon, 31 Mar 2008 19:07:59 +0000 http://themoderatevoice.com/science/environment/environmental-issues/18690/earth-hour-and-two-heels-per-loaf/#comment-123878 Good for you, Jazz, and Fogg. It does matter, and despite the fact that there will always be wasteful people, as a friend keeps reminding me "this is not about them. It' about us." Keep up those good carbon behaviors and encourage others to do the same. Every bit helps. Good for you, Jazz, and Fogg. It does matter, and despite the fact that there will always be wasteful people, as a friend keeps reminding me “this is not about them. It' about us.” Keep up those good carbon behaviors and encourage others to do the same. Every bit helps.

]]> By: Capt_Fogg http://themoderatevoice.com/18690/earth-hour-and-two-heels-per-loaf/comment-page-1/#comment-123877 Capt_Fogg Mon, 31 Mar 2008 17:46:09 +0000 http://themoderatevoice.com/science/environment/environmental-issues/18690/earth-hour-and-two-heels-per-loaf/#comment-123877 It's probably no more than that I'm cheap, but I make less garbage, use less electricity and water my lawn less than my neighbors, but what does it matter if I use 50% less when the local population goes up 30-40% a year, if they keep building more malls that use more energy than a thousand homes, golf courses that use more water than anyone in the county? My high powered car gets almost 30 mpg, but what if my neighbor buys one of these super Smart Cars that gets 33 and uses it three times as much to go to the new malls? Buy one of those and and they'll put in ten more stoplights that reduce the mileage by half.<br><br>We measure progress and well being by growth and yet growth is the enemy: population growth, economic growth and the growth of consumption. We're not going back to horses and candles and ice boxes anytime soon - not voluntarily anyway, and unless we control "growth" we're sunk. There's not a lot about the explosive economic growth in the far east we can do either.<br><br>Much of what we feel good about doing is no more than a useless gesture because we are only a small part of the world. It's probably no more than that I'm cheap, but I make less garbage, use less electricity and water my lawn less than my neighbors, but what does it matter if I use 50% less when the local population goes up 30-40% a year, if they keep building more malls that use more energy than a thousand homes, golf courses that use more water than anyone in the county? My high powered car gets almost 30 mpg, but what if my neighbor buys one of these super Smart Cars that gets 33 and uses it three times as much to go to the new malls? Buy one of those and and they'll put in ten more stoplights that reduce the mileage by half.

We measure progress and well being by growth and yet growth is the enemy: population growth, economic growth and the growth of consumption. We're not going back to horses and candles and ice boxes anytime soon – not voluntarily anyway, and unless we control “growth” we're sunk. There's not a lot about the explosive economic growth in the far east we can do either.

Much of what we feel good about doing is no more than a useless gesture because we are only a small part of the world.

]]>