Combo52
You apparently have a misconception about what a politician has a "right" to do.
Just because they are elected, does not give them any "right" beyond what is afforded to them via the US Constitution. Period.
No politician has a "right" to define how or when or what kind of appliances I use. That is my own private business. Not yours, nor the governments.
Second, no politician has a "right" to legislate appliance usage based on junk science, which defines 90% of the nonsense coming out of the media today.
Third, "have voted them in office giving them the right to regulate consumption any reasonable way they see fit...." No, voting them in office does not trump an individuals rights.
Now back to the topic at hand.......this whole eco-crisis thing is just that. A made up bunch of nonsense to entice folks like you into believing we're near the Apocalypse and only sweeping, far reaching legislation is going to save us. That my friend is how socialist dictatorships take root. History has proven this over and over and over.
Perhaps we could try some common sense applications with regard to energy usage.
Including but not limited to:
1. Building more durable goods (remember what that used to mean) so said user is not forced, economically speaking, to replace a 400 dollar control board on an 800 dollar washer. Of course, we'd have to pay more for better metals and such, but look at Jetcon's 57 SQ, running very well indeed with some elbow grease. Not sitting in a trash heap.
2. Provide carrot instead of stick. For example, tax credits to replace old windows with newer ones. Credits to insulate your home better for example.
3. Turn off your stupid, oversized SUV and pickup when you're at the doodle mart buying lottery tickets.
4. Combine many trips into one. Buy in bulk to reduce driving trips.
5. Carpool. My dad did this in the 70's and it save money AND energy at the same time.
6. Use fans when air temp and humidity permit. I started doing this years ago and knocked 30% off my electric bill.
7. When was the last time you checked air in your tires or is Maryland another moronic state like PA that mandates vehicle inspections? I purchased an Accu-Guage and check mine, winter AND summer 3x a month. As a result, my tires last longer and my Corolla gets maximum mileage possible.
8. Decide what you want before standing in front of the icebox with your thumb in the wrong part of your anatomy, door open, gobs of cold air pouring out.
9. Turn off lights when not needed. Duh, pretty basic eh?
10. Close blinds in summer to reduce cooling load on AC. Open them in winter to take advantage of solar radiation.
11. Clean your effing AC! Be it window unit or central air, some 409 or purple power and a bit of time can turn a poorly functioning unit into a properly functioning unit.
12. Avoid blasting a 400 degree oven in the middle of summer. My dad does this. In fact, he cooks outside all the time. Even manages to rustle up some ham and eggs on the grill. This goes a long way to easing the load on the Ruud A/C.
13. Replace old faucets with new ones or put a washer in one that is leaking. Check them all the time.
14. Wrap your water heater. I did this 15 years ago. Still have same heater and I cut my gas bill at the same time. I also insulated my hot water pipe as far as I can so as to ensure a hotter temp at the faucet for my eco-approved GE.
I'd dig all this eco stuff IF I could see some benefit. As of yet, I don't.
What I do notice is a 3 hour wash time in my eco-approved and blessed GE dishwasher. And that's on normal cycle btw. I also pay 26 cents per wash for the Cascade eco-approved paks and this is buying them at Target. That's 4x what I used to spend on detergent when I had the old fashioned KA. Also, per GE, I am supposed to run my water heater at 140, not 120 as was the case with the KA.
We're all running around in bubble cars getting fantastic mileage from dinky engines, yet I still pay over $3.00 for gasoline.
Everyone is CFL this and solar that, but for some odd reason, in spite of declining electrical consumption, my electric bill keeps on going up and up and up and up.
Other than "feeling good" about being eco minded, I'm not 100% sure of what the benefit is supposed to be. What I do see is a bevy of complaints all over the internet from users of HE washing machines. They've been duly notated here before so I won't repeat them. We're buying flat screen boob tubes like they're going out of style, and yes, the picture sho' does look great, but they do not last and are not cost effective to repair. So they get replaced, over and over and over.
I'll end with this and I will paraphrase my father. Any time our collection of geniuses in DC want to pay my bills, then fine, tell me how to live. But so long as I am paying the bills, I'll decide what I damn well please. And if that conflicts with current eco-thinking, well tough you-know-what.
You apparently have a misconception about what a politician has a "right" to do.
Just because they are elected, does not give them any "right" beyond what is afforded to them via the US Constitution. Period.
No politician has a "right" to define how or when or what kind of appliances I use. That is my own private business. Not yours, nor the governments.
Second, no politician has a "right" to legislate appliance usage based on junk science, which defines 90% of the nonsense coming out of the media today.
Third, "have voted them in office giving them the right to regulate consumption any reasonable way they see fit...." No, voting them in office does not trump an individuals rights.
Now back to the topic at hand.......this whole eco-crisis thing is just that. A made up bunch of nonsense to entice folks like you into believing we're near the Apocalypse and only sweeping, far reaching legislation is going to save us. That my friend is how socialist dictatorships take root. History has proven this over and over and over.
Perhaps we could try some common sense applications with regard to energy usage.
Including but not limited to:
1. Building more durable goods (remember what that used to mean) so said user is not forced, economically speaking, to replace a 400 dollar control board on an 800 dollar washer. Of course, we'd have to pay more for better metals and such, but look at Jetcon's 57 SQ, running very well indeed with some elbow grease. Not sitting in a trash heap.
2. Provide carrot instead of stick. For example, tax credits to replace old windows with newer ones. Credits to insulate your home better for example.
3. Turn off your stupid, oversized SUV and pickup when you're at the doodle mart buying lottery tickets.
4. Combine many trips into one. Buy in bulk to reduce driving trips.
5. Carpool. My dad did this in the 70's and it save money AND energy at the same time.
6. Use fans when air temp and humidity permit. I started doing this years ago and knocked 30% off my electric bill.
7. When was the last time you checked air in your tires or is Maryland another moronic state like PA that mandates vehicle inspections? I purchased an Accu-Guage and check mine, winter AND summer 3x a month. As a result, my tires last longer and my Corolla gets maximum mileage possible.
8. Decide what you want before standing in front of the icebox with your thumb in the wrong part of your anatomy, door open, gobs of cold air pouring out.
9. Turn off lights when not needed. Duh, pretty basic eh?
10. Close blinds in summer to reduce cooling load on AC. Open them in winter to take advantage of solar radiation.
11. Clean your effing AC! Be it window unit or central air, some 409 or purple power and a bit of time can turn a poorly functioning unit into a properly functioning unit.
12. Avoid blasting a 400 degree oven in the middle of summer. My dad does this. In fact, he cooks outside all the time. Even manages to rustle up some ham and eggs on the grill. This goes a long way to easing the load on the Ruud A/C.
13. Replace old faucets with new ones or put a washer in one that is leaking. Check them all the time.
14. Wrap your water heater. I did this 15 years ago. Still have same heater and I cut my gas bill at the same time. I also insulated my hot water pipe as far as I can so as to ensure a hotter temp at the faucet for my eco-approved GE.
I'd dig all this eco stuff IF I could see some benefit. As of yet, I don't.
What I do notice is a 3 hour wash time in my eco-approved and blessed GE dishwasher. And that's on normal cycle btw. I also pay 26 cents per wash for the Cascade eco-approved paks and this is buying them at Target. That's 4x what I used to spend on detergent when I had the old fashioned KA. Also, per GE, I am supposed to run my water heater at 140, not 120 as was the case with the KA.
We're all running around in bubble cars getting fantastic mileage from dinky engines, yet I still pay over $3.00 for gasoline.
Everyone is CFL this and solar that, but for some odd reason, in spite of declining electrical consumption, my electric bill keeps on going up and up and up and up.
Other than "feeling good" about being eco minded, I'm not 100% sure of what the benefit is supposed to be. What I do see is a bevy of complaints all over the internet from users of HE washing machines. They've been duly notated here before so I won't repeat them. We're buying flat screen boob tubes like they're going out of style, and yes, the picture sho' does look great, but they do not last and are not cost effective to repair. So they get replaced, over and over and over.
I'll end with this and I will paraphrase my father. Any time our collection of geniuses in DC want to pay my bills, then fine, tell me how to live. But so long as I am paying the bills, I'll decide what I damn well please. And if that conflicts with current eco-thinking, well tough you-know-what.
