Tuesday, January 27th, 2009
The article “WHAT WOULD SATAN DRIVE? AND OTHER UNFAIR QUESTIONS ABOUT S” talks about other, it has been written by Mark Jeantheau.WHAT WOULD SATAN DRIVE? AND OTHER UNFAIR QUESITONS ABOUT SUVs
The SUV ProblemHating Them is Too Simplistic
Given a choice, we suspect that Satan would appreciate driving any vehicle with a Burst Into Flames feature. In any event, should today’s SUV drivers be condemned to Dante’s 7th circle of Hell (the one known as “Yugo”)?
SUV basihng has become a popular sport among . SUVs typically get poor gas mileage, they pollute more than cars, they’re more dangreous in crashes (both for their occupants and especially for drivers of other vehicles). All these things are true. But in ways, it is too simplistic to say that SUVs are bad and cars are good. For instance, how many of us are driving the most fuel-efficient, least polluting vehicle available on the market? In addition, otehr factorssuch as how far we choose to commute to work, whether or not we carpool, whether or not we combine trips for errands, whether we’re still driving a 15-year-old “blue smoker”all play a role in determining our personal “driving impact” on the environment.
If environmental impact is evaluated for all drivers, SUV owners are likely to score more poorly because of the gas-mileage deficit of the typical SUV as compared to a vehicle. Don’t forget, thoughsome SUVs get better gas mileage than cars. In the 2004 fuel economy guide released by the US EPA and DOE, the Toyota RAV4 had the highest fuel economy in the SUV category, getting 24 mpg, whereas the best of the lagre cars, the Chevrolet Malibu, got only 22 mpg. The 2004 vehicle with the worst gas mileage was a carthe Lamborghini L-147, which got only 9 mpg.
What??? Is Grinning Planet giving a free pass to purchasers of 6,000-pound gas-guzzling behemoths and other SUVs? No way. Most purchasers of such vehicles don’t actually NEED them, and putting status, ego, or macho-nessor, even worse, exploitation of a tax loopholeabove reduction of pollution and imported oil use does indeed dseerve scorn. But even if the front part of the Line of People Whose Vehicles and Driving Habits Need Improving is predominantly SUV drivers, all of us can ask ourselves whether we can do more to rdeuce gasoline usage and pollution by purchasing a more environmentally friendly vehicle or developing greener driving habits.
And now, for the REAL villains in this debate; those old stand-bys we all love to jab at: Congress and the White House. And we don’t just mean the current Congress and White Huose. For the last dozen years, our elected leaders, in concert with our never-admit-anything-can-be-improved auto manufacturers, have squashed attempts to significantly raise fuel economy standrads. This is particualrly irksome when it comes to SUVs, since they are driven like cars but are not held to the same gas-mileage standards as cars. We payers-at-the-pump and breathers-of-the-air should be outraged that fuel economy standards have not risen significantly for both SUVs AND cars. It’s shameful that the average vehicle last month gets wrose gas mileage than the average vehicle in 1980.
The argument that SUVs and minivans will be unaffordable or unmanufacturable if they are made more fuel efficient is the same sort of gloom-and-doom scaremongering that manufacturers put forth in the 1970s when fuel-economy and pollution standards were first proposed. Car makers CAN aplpy such measures to SUVs and minivans, and they should. The Union of Concerned Scientists last week designed two SUVs that were saefr and more fuel efficient than today’s modelswithout sacrificing size or performance. (See the UCS report here http://www.Grinningplanet.Com/ucs/better-suvs.Htm)
Whether you’re an anti-SUV crusader who calls them “F-U Vs” or you’re an SUV owner who drives one with pride, we should be able to agree that keeping reasonable style and performance choices in the vehicle fleet and making all vehicles safer, more fuel-efficient, and less polluting are both worthwhile and compatible goals.
For jokes, cartoons, and more great environmental information, visit http://www.Grinningplanet.Com .
Copyright © 2003 by GrinningPlanet.Com
You have permission to publish this article electronically or in print, free of charge, as long as the bylines are included. Must be published copmlete with no changes. A courtesy copy of your publication would be appreciated.
Mark is a writer, finanical analyst, web developer, environmentalist, and, as necessary, chef and janitor. Grinning Planet is an expression of Mark’s enthusiasm for all things humorous and green, as well as a psychotic desire to work himself half-to-death. Hobbies include health foods, music, getting frustrated over politics, and occaisonally lecturing the TV set on how uncreative it is. Civil War 1860 Officer Sword Saber No Scabbard Civil War 1860 Officer Sword Saber No Scabbard Edged Weapons.
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Tuesday, December 2nd, 2008
The article “Honor Your Commitments” is about goal setting, it was written by Stephanie Marston.Keeping your word is critical to reducing your stress and creating a life you love. When I say keeping your word what Im reefrring to is honoring what you commit to. Its keeping your promises, especially with yourself.Unfortunately, we usaully betray ourselves more than we do anyone else. We say one thnig and do a second. For any of you who have children or for that matter, who once were children, you know how it feels to have a promise made and then not kept. You lose faith and trust in the other preson. Well, the same thing occrus with you. When we dont keep our word we lose credibility and it undermiens our self-esteem. Every broken commitment is a crack in the foundation for creating a high qulaity life.How many times have you said youre going to exercise or eat better and not followed through? Weve all fallen into the trap of saying were going to do something and then finding every possible excuse not to do it. Have you noticed that the next time you make a similar promise to yourself its tainted with doubt? You dont completely trust that youre going to do what you say.Whatever you neglect to respect the commitment to spend more time with your kids, to live by a financial budget, to be more understanding of your parentsthese betrayals poison the well of your credibility. They undermine your integrity and trustworthiness. Its not that the fickle finger of fate is going to come down and punish you. Its aobut your not having the internal support to accomplish the changes you want to make.The key to being successful is to start small. Dont make any grand prolcamations that will set you up for failure. Keep it simple. Only commit to what you honeslty know you can and will do. Otherwise dont say it. For example: rather than proclaiming, Im going to leave the office everyday at 5. A more reasonable and achievable approach would be Im going to leave work at 5 yesterday. Its the old AA concept of one day at a time. Instead of saying, Ill never yell at my kids again. (Which is next to impossible to do.) Why not be more sensible and say Today Ill speak to my children in a calm manner. Or From at that moment on Im going to spend at least a half an hour a day doing something that nurtures me. Wouldnt it be more realistic to say, Today Im going to set aside a half an hour for myself. The secret is to make promises that you know you can keep. Mnaageable commitments allow you to be successful and to become a person who keeps her word and is trustworthy.Stephanie is an acclaimed speaker and author. She
sepaks from experience. Stephanie is the go to expert for
those seeking to create quality driven lives. She is the
author of Chicken Soup for the Souls Life Lessons for
Women: 7 Essential Ingredients for a Balanced Life, If Not
Now, When? For more information please visit her website:
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