Billions (literally!) of dollars have been spent to reverse conservative opinion on this. The extremely wealthy brown energy magnates who bankroll the GOP hate free market solutions, and that’s why they propagandize so heavily against cap and trade. They’d prefer to simply pollute with impunity, but the rank and file (like you and I) don’t like to see the fish and deer dying from pollution. A command economy solution, that the wealthiest existing powers are better positioned to subvert and exploit, is always better for them than any free market solution.
As usual though, there’s huge differences between the beliefs of the party rank and file, the party position, and the party leadership’s actions.
I got an early appreciation for conservation and environmentalism from the Boy Scouts. Obviously that’s an evil conservative organization, but do they count as Republican also?
This study found that Republicans are more likely to actually DO something about their environmental concerns, rather than just talking about it. How does that translate to “do as I say, not as I do?”
That’s what I came here to say. Correct me if I’m wrong, but Republicans skew older, wealthier, and more rural/suburban. Hence, they have immediate, direct authority to replace their appliances and improve their insulation/heating.cooling systems. Heck, I don’t even buy all of my own lightbulbs for my apartment.
A) they aren’t doing anything for environmental reasons, they are doing it to save money.
B) while they are taking up energy efficiency as individuals (again not for any other purpose than to save money) they actively pursue public policies that THWART energy efficiency and environmental protection. That’s how it translates. Pure hypocrisy. So yeah, get back to me when Repubs aren’t trying gut the EPA, deregulate the coal and fracking industries, when they aren’t opposing higher gas mileage and emissions standards etc etc etc. If you don’t see this then you mist be intentionally blind.
i dont know anyone who have bought a car new, i have a theory that rich people buy and sell their cars every 2 years to keep in the current model, and thats where used cars come from
Yeah, I have had absolutely no success in pointing out to many of my dad’s friends (ages in the 60s to 80s) that you can now get much brighter light from these new bulbs which makes it so much easier for older eyes to see and even read. Like, why wouldn’t you want that? Stubbornness for its own sake is stupid.
That depends on your definition of “rich” I suppose. I expect that’s where used Audis and Mercedes and BMWs come from, but used Ford Fiestas, Toyota Camries [sp?], not so much. What rich people are buying those new?
I like energy efficiency, too. But I also happen to think that it’s a good enough idea that it will succeed on its own, without having to be made mandatory.
Obviously, yes, some people do. But there are plenty of new cars you can lease, with now money down, for <$200/ month, and you don’t have to be anywhere close to rich to afford them. MIddle class, yes, but lower middle class works just fine. I would imagine that leased vehicles are a much bigger source of used cars than spoiled rich kids are. I leased my first car. It was a 0 percent lease with no money down, and that way I got to drive it for 3 years before deciding whether to do a lease buyout. Good thing I did, too, since I ended up moving at short notice for a new job to a city where I wouldn’t be able to afford parking a car, and wouldn’t have had time to sell a used car.
