Ohhh just look at the SUVs - sure hope Al did some rebukin'

[dizzle]

http://www.zombietime.com/gore_in_marin/

All I can say is that someone has some real chutzpah to drive an SUV to a Gorefest.

[Jimmy Higgins]

http://www.zombietime.com/gore_in_marin/

All I can say is that someone has some real chutzpah to drive an SUV to a Gorefest.Of course, I'm not defending who had the SUVs. Still, I had a co-worker who drove an SUV. They did a lot of watersports and wintersports, though. They needed the room for all the gear.

Most people don't use SUVs like this though. They waste all the "utility" the vehicle has to offer. If a person uses the utility the vehicle has to offer, I really don't have a problem with that. It's the people who drive the SUVs to make their family "safe" (at the expense of the other vehicle in any said accident) or to act as a status symbol... oy vei... That I find annoying and wasteful. Personally, I can't stand seeing all the Hummers on the road... with a single person inside them. I don't think I've seen more than one person in a Hummer.

[Shadow Phoenix]

http://www.zombietime.com/gore_in_marin/

All I can say is that someone has some real chutzpah to drive an SUV to a Gorefest.

It'd be better to fly in in a private jet.

[Lazy Agnostic]

Matthew 19:24
"Again I tell you, it is easier for a rope to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God."

Enjoy your time in eternal torment, Son. Especially rich preachers.

[dizzle]

Of course, I'm not defending who had the SUVs. Still, I had a co-worker who drove an SUV. They did a lot of watersports and wintersports, though. They needed the room for all the gear.

Most people don't use SUVs like this though. They waste all the "utility" the vehicle has to offer. If a person uses the utility the vehicle has to offer, I really don't have a problem with that. It's the people who drive the SUVs to make their family "safe" (at the expense of the other vehicle in any said accident) or to act as a status symbol... oy vei... That I find annoying and wasteful. Personally, I can't stand seeing all the Hummers on the road... with a single person inside them. I don't think I've seen more than one person in a Hummer.

I agree with you. Most people though who indulge in watersports have more than one vehicle, and the SUV could be reserved for when it is needed.

[Amazing Rando]

A useful alternative for those who really need the "utility" of an SUV but who are worried about the environmental effects is to purchase a hybrid SUV like the Escape. That's what my wife drives to school- she's a music teacher and has to haul scads of musical instruments. The Escape hybrid gets 32+ mpg and runs on pure electricity whenever you're driving at under 30 mph.

[Pilgrim]

A useful alternative for those who really need the "utility" of an SUV but who are worried about the environmental effects is to purchase a hybrid SUV like the Escape. That's what my wife drives to school- she's a music teacher and has to haul scads of musical instruments. The Escape hybrid gets 32+ mpg and runs on pure electricity whenever you're driving at under 30 mph.

Let's be honest though. Hauling a boat with an escape just really isn't that great of an option.

[Amazing Rando]

Let's be honest though. Hauling a boat with an escape just really isn't that great of an option.

Nah, probably not. Though we do carry an inflatable raft in the Escape sometimes! :shy:

[Jimmy Higgins]

I agree with you. Most people though who indulge in watersports have more than one vehicle, and the SUV could be reserved for when it is needed.And that's what they did. They had a smaller car for commuting. It didn't take them long to realize using the SUV for commuting was not a great option.

Let's be honest though. Hauling a boat with an escape just really isn't that great of an option.This is true. From what I've heard, I'm hardly an expert on the Escape, it doesn't have the power for hauling big things.

I know as a single person (in relationship) with no kids, my Insight has only been a problem with getting certain things a few times. I even managed to get a 27" tv home in. It's small, but I still can pack it up with stuff when I work in the field or go to my races or go on vacation. If a family has two kids, it won't work, but there are plenty other options than an SUV.

[Meh_Gerbil]

Why not drive fuel efficient cars and rent an SUV the few times you need them?

[lao tzu]

http://www.charlierose.com/shows/2007/05/25/1/an-hour-with-former-vice-president-al-gore

Anyone looking for something a bit more relevant to Gore's "An Assault on Reason" might be interested in checking out this recent Charlie Rose episode. I understand the OP is something about SUVs and Gore-bashing, but this latest book is more about how our democratic institutions, especially the free press as represented by major media, failed to inform us properly in the lead-up to Iraq.

As ever, Jesse

[djdavo]

Of course, I'm not defending who had the SUVs. Still, I had a co-worker who drove an SUV. They did a lot of watersports and wintersports, though. They needed the room for all the gear.

Most people don't use SUVs like this though. They waste all the "utility" the vehicle has to offer. If a person uses the utility the vehicle has to offer, I really don't have a problem with that. It's the people who drive the SUVs to make their family "safe" (at the expense of the other vehicle in any said accident) or to act as a status symbol... oy vei... That I find annoying and wasteful. Personally, I can't stand seeing all the Hummers on the road... with a single person inside them. I don't think I've seen more than one person in a Hummer.

heheh..let me get this straight: an SUV is OK if a single person is hauling a boat,but it's not OK if a family of 5 is using it for transport & hauling all those groceries?

i didn't know there were "approved" uses for SUVs...seems to me if you need the room (Or not!),it's fine to drive one...

[Pilgrim]

heheh..let me get this straight: an SUV is OK if a single person is hauling a boat,but it's not OK if a family of 5 is using it for transport & hauling all those groceries?

i didn't know there were "approved" uses for SUVs...seems to me if you need the room (Or not!),it's fine to drive one...

Pretty much. An SUV is not needed to haul kids and groceries. SUV's are needed for off road and work horse situations. A family is safer in a minivan and will spend less money that way. I get sick of all the soccer moms in their freaking huge vehicles that they can't drive or park correctly (matter of fact, I think there should be a different class of license for driving an SUV and that you should have to take and pay for the test to get that license) and which have never been switched into 4 wheel drive anyway. It's all about status, not utility, let's be honest.

[Jimmy Higgins]

heheh..let me get this straight: an SUV is OK if a single person is hauling a boat,but it's not OK if a family of 5 is using it for transport & hauling all those groceries? If a family of 5 was constantly using the vehicle for 5 people and stuff, then they would be using the utility of the vehicle. How many SUVs do you see commuting with only one person?

i didn't know there were "approved" uses for SUVs...seems to me if you need the room (Or not!),it's fine to drive one...There is using the utility and wasting utility. Quite obvious things. You don't use a flame thrower to light a cigarette and then get upset over how much the fuel costs to power the flame thrower.

[djdavo]

Pretty much. An SUV is not needed to haul kids and groceries. SUV's are needed for off road and work horse situations. A family is safer in a minivan and will spend less money that way. I get sick of all the soccer moms in their freaking huge vehicles that they can't drive or park correctly (matter of fact, I think there should be a different class of license for driving an SUV and that you should have to take and pay for the test to get that license) and which have never been switched into 4 wheel drive anyway. It's all about status, not utility, let's be honest.

status or not, so what? what kind of car do you drive?
people should be allowed to spend their money on whatever car they want. if it's legal of course.

so you really want the government to make laws that outlaw a family driving a car because it's called a Sport Utility Vehicle? a little extreme, doncha think?

are you single? should the government tell you you can only drive a prius?

[Pilgrim]

status or not, so what? what kind of car do you drive?
people should be allowed to spend their money on whatever car they want. if it's legal of course.

I understand that concept. What I wish is that people were more concerned with their responsibilities than they were with their right to pollute. By the way, I drive a Volvo station wagon. It gets amazing gas mileage and has plenty of room for every thing we need from our infant's safety seat to room for the dog's bed in the cargo area. Sure, I don't look as cool as the soccer mom in her Ford Excursion, Hummer, or Escalade...that is, if you measure status and coolness by such things...but I'm saving money and my family is just as safe and we're not being depelatist so I feel pretty good about it.

so you really want the government to make laws that outlaw a family driving a car because it's called a Sport Utility Vehicle? a little extreme, doncha think? Don't think I said that. What I said is that there should be another class of license for SUV's of a certain size and that the cost should be different. Much like getting a commercial license.

are you single? should the government tell you you can only drive a prius? No I'm not single. And again, I never said the government should tell you what you should drive, just that certain vehicles should require a different class of license. Just yesterday I watched a tourist in a Ford Expiditiontry to navigate a parking lot here at the Jersey Shore. After making a turn too tightly to try to back into a spot, she took out the back left quarter panel on a really nice looking Passat. I don't think she even realized it because she just drove away. I see that kind of thing all the time.

[Dr. Jack Bauer]

status or not, so what? what kind of car do you drive?
people should be allowed to spend their money on whatever car they want. if it's legal of course.If by "allowed" you mean "legally permitted," then what you say here is just true by definition. But there's absolutely nothing wrong with telling people to be virtuous in their choices, whether they are legally required to or not.

[decoski]

Hey, I want one of those plug-in hybrids. 100+ mpg baby!

[Amazing Rando]

Plug-ins are a much more practical alleviation to the energy crisis than is heavy investment in alternative fuels like ethanol and hydrogen fuel cells.

[Jimmy Higgins]

Hey, I want one of those plug-in hybrids. 100+ mpg baby!One the problems I see with the hybrids or high mileage vehicles is that people will expect their car to break the sound barrier of gasoline mileage without having to adjust their own driving style. They'll want to drive like maniacs on the road and still get 100 mpg.

So while the newer vehicles come out, some people will probably be upset that they can't go from 0 to 60 in 5 seconds and still get that killer mileage.

[Jimmy Higgins]

Plug-ins are a much more practical alleviation to the energy crisis than is heavy investment in alternative fuels like ethanol and hydrogen fuel cells.Perhaps short and immediate term. Hydrogen is a viable option theorhetically, but it needs a bunch of "Eureka" moments to become the future solution. Of course, once fusion is in play in the US, electric needs won't matter too much.

It'd be awesome if the White House would make a push for fusion power that could maybe get it in play in the US a decade or two quicker.

[Yankee_Doodle]

Of course, I'm not defending who had the SUVs. Still, I had a co-worker who drove an SUV. They did a lot of watersports and wintersports, though. They needed the room for all the gear.

Most people don't use SUVs like this though. They waste all the "utility" the vehicle has to offer. If a person uses the utility the vehicle has to offer, I really don't have a problem with that. It's the people who drive the SUVs to make their family "safe" (at the expense of the other vehicle in any said accident) or to act as a status symbol... oy vei... That I find annoying and wasteful. Personally, I can't stand seeing all the Hummers on the road... with a single person inside them. I don't think I've seen more than one person in a Hummer.

I wish I had a helicopter to commute to work

[Yankee_Doodle]

Perhaps short and immediate term. Hydrogen is a viable option theorhetically, but it needs a bunch of "Eureka" moments to become the future solution. Of course, once fusion is in play in the US, electric needs won't matter too much.

It'd be awesome if the White House would make a push for fusion power that could maybe get it in play in the US a decade or two quicker.

fusion power is probably a pipe dream. We're better off going nuclear like France has (perhaps we can opt for safer pebble bed reactors). Moreover, hydrogen cars are probably a pipe dream (or at least decades off). The reality is we need to do many different things. Ethanol, hybrids, biodiesel, make more use of trains & buses, car pooling, energy efficient light bulbs, nuclear power, shale oil, and succeed in Iraq so we can tap the Basra oil keg. We can also opt for locally grown fruits & veggies to cut down on trucking costs, increase the use of coal & natural gas fired electric plants (while we're building a nuclear infrastructure), increase the use of fuel cells in large office buildings and manufacturing plants, increase the use of solar, wind, and hydroelectric energy as much as practical, allow drilling in Anwar, exploit more domestic natural gas, rebuild our electrical transmission lines, etc. etc. etc. I wouldn't necessarily support tax credits to increase refining capacity since lowering the price of fuel will simply spur consumption. However, I think with these combined efforts we can buy time and not be reliant on mid east or venezuelan oil (and more effectively deal with thorns in our side like Iran & Hugo Chavez). I think only government action can spur this type of massive effort.

I think we do need to start getting tough on big industry. We give tax breaks to increase refining capacity, domestic drilling, upgrade our internet delivery system to fiber & the taxpayer gets squat every time. On one side of the isle we have a party that bends over to big business & on the other side a party who bends over to tyranny and terrorists. As we can see with the social security & medicare fiasco -- we'll only act when it's almost too late (I hope it's almost rather than too late).

AW