Well aptone1 with me, its a matter of principle as well
Ya see, part of my reason for the SQ top loader is I go against trends or what CR and other media outlets tell us how to live. I prefer to gather information and use my brain to form my own opinion on what works best for ME and my laundry.
With regard to DOE regs, I can find no valid research regarding water usage and how we're all going to dry up and blow away scrounging for water in the next 10-20 years.
I feel the marketplace should be calling the shots. For instance, let us presume Acme Washer Co. puts out a steller FL machine that is a hit and other makers follow, then naturally I would expect to see FL machines dime a dozen. What I am in 100% disagreement with is hoopla made up from false assumptions on climate change, eco change, or whatever change is "trending" these days and thus crying to the DOE to "force" us into what IT thinks is best for US. That is not a hallmark of democracy, but rather trappings of a totalitarian dictatorship. I refuse to go along with such micromanagement. Period.
Besides, isn't the credo spewed by the eco-nazis called reduce, reuse, recycle? Whether or not it is "noble" to fix an existing machine is a matter of opinion.
What isn't "noble" is overpriced, cheaply made, repair prone, expensive to fix techno laden machines that do more to fatten up shareholder value than customer value.
In the end, it really boils down to control. Always has, always will. Since biblical times, mother earth is always going to be populated by a select group seeking to control another group or a majority.
Climate change and blaming it on humans is patently false. Global warming is false.
In fact, once upon a time this planet was warm enough to support large reptilian life forms and based on my understanding of history, we had no TL machines wasting water, no large SUV or pickup trucks no coal fired power plants, nothing. So how can that be explained?
The best way to control a population is generate a "crisis" then convince the population that draconian measures are needed to "correct" it (witness the NSA for example), and put in severe penalties to make sure everyone toes the line. Often it involves removal of consumer choice with said choices being replaced by what the controlling entity "believes" is in YOUR best interest. Poor former East Germany, for decades they had the lowly Trabant car and had to wait 10 long years to get one after order was placed. But I bet the government felt good about "taking care of the population" didn't it?