US, yes the USA, green lights Climate Plan!

I think you are wrong Rick, China and India are making all the same mistakes the USA made during its developement. Whos example do you think they are following? To be the best first you have to catch up to the "best". Why not move that goal to a greener place?

 

Wow. I'll answer the questions that I can.

In the warm months, I ride my motorcycle to work. 45 mpg. I bought my Jeep used, so no new materials went into it. It passes smog and I only fill it up twice a month.

Buying products made in a sustainable way? I buy organic produce if what I want is available. Organic meat is prohibitively expensive.

The furniture I have that's made of wood is pine, so it didn't come from a rain forest. My tables are steel and glass. I have a hand-me-down dresser that hides in my closet because it's ugly as sin, it's made of particle board. It was also used, so no new wood went into it's construction.

Writing to local companies would be a waste of time and paper. I do know that the garbage company is run by Waste Management, and they are pretty green. I recycle paper, plastic and glass.

Asking the salesman about TV power consumption would be about as useful as asking a tree, so I did my research on my TV myself. I bought an LCD instead of a plasma because of power usage. It was more expensive than some of the lower models I was looking at, but I picked it because of picture quality.

Write to companies about packaging? See my response about local companies.

So do you. Everyone does. Should I live in a cave?

In another thread I mentioned that I've had it with GM, until they get their shit in gear I will never buy another of their cars. I love the forthcoming Camaro, but I will not buy one until I see that they have made some real gains in their business model.

See above.

I didn't think you were bashing the US. I meant it when I said I would love to live in your country, it's amazing.

I love my country, but my government leaves me guessing. I would love to see some sensible changes made to the way things are done here pertaining to pollution. Time will tell. By the way, I've lived in many different areas, both good and bad, and I've never slept with a gun under my pillow. I've never kept a loaded gun in the house. I have two guns in my closet right now, but the kicker is I have no ammo!

I guess my pistol will suffice as a bludgeon if the local thugs break my door down.............

 

Thanks for the good answer, I see you are thinking global and acting locally like most of the people on here.

I don't write on paper, emails don't always get a reply but they can get the message across.

In doing the research on the internet you are doing the right thing as if asking the salesperson, you're right but I was thinking of another age.

You have sent a message to GM in not dealing with them. I used GM as an example, they aren't the only ones producing dirty. At least GM have seen that the environment is important to their customers and even though they react to that in an unusual way, by making bigger vehicles with some fuel and emissions saving technology in them and an electric car they may or may not make, at least that shows public pressure works and they know if GM don't follow through they will do more harm to their reputation.

Like most Aussies, i have never owned or fired a gun. (I don't include air rifles as guns)

 

I do what I can.

They can, but I envision them going in the delete pile.

Most "salesmen" at electronics stores anymore know about as much about their products as I know about particle physics, which is to say nothing. I always do better if I find out for myself.

They are trying, I'll give them that. They still have big strides to make though in product quality. The issues they have are problems that should plague a startup company, not someone who has been in business for decades. These are the problems I fear will tarnish the Volt.

I gather your laws prohibit that. Guns are a good thing in the right hands. Wrong hands will get them though, and that is a problem no matter what laws are passed.

 

No they dont, I could get a licence and a rifle or go to a rifle club or shooting range but I choose not to. Never felt the urge really.
It isn't against the law to own a gun here, you need a licence and you can not own an automatic weapon, or semi-automatic weapon or pistol without a good reason.

If you are in a pistol club you could own a hand gun but the requirements are very strict. If you were caught with a loaded weapon you would be strung up by your b***s. (Aussie for in a lot of trouble)
Guns must be stored in a locked steel or hardwood cabinet which must be secured to the building or floor. Ammo must not be kept in that same cabinet.

There is also a requirement to produce your licence to purchase ammunition.

One of the guys at work has been trying to get us side arms for protection, if he is successful I'll look for another job. Fortunately he will never be successful.

 

Actually, I think that it is the likes of the US, Australia and Europe who are making the mistakes. China and India are following what the developed countries are doing, and we are helping them by offloading all that messy work that we do not want.

They will continue to pollute until someone offers them a workable, economical means to do the same without the pollution. I have spent 4 out of the last 5 weeks in China - 3 in Beijing and 1 in Hong Kong. I have seen examples in my industry - computer software in finance - where the Chinese have just plain skipped a lot of the inefficient banking systems and really will have one of the most efficient banking systems in the world. They look at what we have done - seen where efficiencies exist and gone with that. Their industry want to do the same.

But what do we do? Is our industry really looking at more efficient ways to produce without pollution? Are our governments encouraging people to find more efficient ways? I say No. A classic example is what a lot of us say about the US auto industry - they are just not wanting to be innovative - let's keep the auto industry using 1950's technology.

So if our governments actually start pushing cleaner standards - people will start looking at smarter ways to meet those standards, and the really smart ones will be copied by China and India. We have the environment that can support innovation, China and India still cannot afford that luxury, but it needs our governments to start taking hard decisions and start setting the standards, and also enforcing them.

We do need to take lead, and come up with ways to become efficient - it is not a case of doing without, it is doing the same with less pollution, doing it more efficiently. If we can do this, then the rest of the world will follow, whether they like us or not.

 

That's what I was trying to say but you did it far more eloquently than I could. Thank you.

 

Why do you hate the US so much Pat? This ridiculous statement only speaks to your high degree of ignorance of this country. Maybe if you learned a bit more about us instead of relying on a knee jerk reaction you might be able to formulate a well-reasoned opinion of the US, pro and con (though I think you've already got the "con" covered).

 

If I had a choice, I wouldn't live in the US either. New Zealand, perhaps...

 

Me neither. The Scandinavian countries look good, too. I'll agree with bigfoot on one thing... the direction of this country (and the potential leadership available) is deplorable. It does not bode well for the future here.

 

Sweden baby!

 

Ah, OK. I was under the impression that firearms were outlawed entirely. Thanks for clearing it up.

What do you do that would make your coworker think you need protection of that magnitude? Theoretically, someone could come into my workplace and start a shoot-em-up, but it's highly unlikely. Not anything we'd need to carry a gun for.

 

I'm speaking somewhat tongue in cheek. I have been communicating with quite a few US citizens for several year on the net and I find the number of people who talk about guns and defending their property with a gun quite alarming, hence the gun comment. I also refer to the public health system(?), social security, unfair minimum wage, obscene consumption, self centredness of the government and some of the people, extreme racism particularly in southern states, although I have also come in contact with some real crusaders.

I like the laid back attitude of Australians over the attitudes I have encountered over seas, although I haven't been to the USA I have been to Europe, Asia and the UK a few time. I'm always happiest to get back to Adelaide Airport. I've seen soldiers with machine guns in airports but never here, saw a guy's bag get blown up in Paris airport! squalor beside obscene wealth in Asia, filth and poverty in England, rows and rows of tiny terrace houses full of damp and poor families in Northern England which is a pretty wealthy country.

Then I see people who are paying 75% of the minimum wage for health insurance each month, how is that fair that the minimum wage is so low?
People who believe they have the right to do what ever they please with no regard for neighbours or any other.
I really struggle to follow these rights in the USA, it seems to be a vehicle for every group to use to carry their interest. And "gas" prices are not too high in the US, they are the lowest in the Western World!!

Anyway, I need to sleep, I don't hate American people, I don't hate the country but I'm really happy where I am. Oh, one more thing, there isn't one toll road (turnpike) in South Australia!!

 

Lets just say some don't like me, I regularly come in contact with bikies(thugs) and sometimes people are worse off after they have had dealings with me. No I don't sell cars or drugs.

 

I feel ya.