alt.energy.renewable

Erdemal wrote:

> Eeyore wrote:
> > RadicalModerate wrote:
> >> Eeyore wrote:
> >>
> >>> To be fair, Americans could 'give up' a heck of a lot by being more energy
> >>> efficient and less wasteful all round and it wouldn't degrade their lifestyle
> >>> one jot.
> >> So what exactly do you think us Americans should be giving up that won't
> >> degrade our lifestyles "one jot"?
> >>
> >> Sure, one person commuting to work in a V-8 powered SUV or pickup truck is
> >> an example of conspicuous consumption.
> >
> > Precisely and changing just that would make a big difference.
>
> Are you the one that wrote many times that all electric cars look
> like 'clown cars' ?

Just about all of them do, it's true.


> For americans our little cars are 'clown cars'.
> It's just about the size of the ego. There are less SUVs in Europe
> because we dont have $3/gallon gasoline, because it impossible
> to park them in our usual parkings or tiny garages and because
> our ego has been tuned down 'culturally' to make us more
> 'plastic'.

I think we're just naturally more modest people actually and don't feel the need for
the most part to boost our egos by purchasing super large vehicles.

Practical limitations like the size of our roads (which may be up to 2000 yrs old or
so in some places) also influence our choices.


> >> Do keep in mind a big difference between Britain and the USA - land mass
> >> and the distances between places.
> >>
> >> Should the average American be forced to live in a crowded, dirty, noisy,
> >> crime-ridden city and depend on public transportation for mobility?
> >
> > I don't understand why you think that's the only alternative.
> >
> >
> >> Should the "average American" be expected to give up home and
> >> workplace cooling in the summertime at work and home?
> >
> > Absolutely not. Better insulation would reduce the requirement though.
>
> What thickness ? 5/10/20/25 cm ?

Around 20-25cm is the typical recommended insulation thickness in the UK now.


> The saving would at best be
> 1000-1500$/year for an average home. Why bother ?

Are you suggesting a saving isn't worth it ? This is precisely the profligate
attitude that's apparently so common in the USA. Insulation doesn't 'wear out'. How
about calculating the saving over 10, 20 or 30 years ?


> >> Should the "average American" be expected to make do with whatever
> >> fresh fruits and vegetables are "in season" where they live?
> >
> > An interesting question. Plenty of stuff freezes just fine. Importing
> > green beans on jetliners strikes me as being pretty extravagant though.
>
> If the energy was solar or green would you accept this.

Jetliners don't run on solar energy.


> >> . What's the speed limit on the Motorways - 60 mph (100 km/hr) ?
> >
> > 70 in the UK actually.
> >
> > Why do you think that's especially important ?
>
> Did you convert to 'ecologism' Eeyeore ?

No. I just abhor deliberate wastefulness.

Graham