Re: Observation about "going Green."

Posted by neenie

My issue with SUVs has more to do with the fact that a substantial number of people driving them SSSUCK! They're driving a car that's 10 times bigger than they need, while talking on their phones turning around to yell at their kids, and staring at their nav screen instead of the road. They drive on the middle of the white lines and then give you the "OOOPs, sorry" look when they almost run you off of the road b/c you were in (one of their many) blind spots. Yes, bad drivers exist in ALL types of cars, but i hate how much more dangerous they are in SUVs. And maybe it's a little selfish of me, but honestly, i care more about THAT, then their effect on the environment.

Re: Observation about "going Green."

Posted by Stacey1403

Posted by neenie

My issue with SUVs has more to do with the fact that a substantial number of people driving them SSSUCK! They're driving a car that's 10 times bigger than they need, while talking on their phones turning around to yell at their kids, and staring at their nav screen instead of the road. They drive on the middle of the white lines and then give you the "OOOPs, sorry" look when they almost run you off of the road b/c you were in (one of their many) blind spots. Yes, bad drivers exist in ALL types of cars, but i hate how much more dangerous they are in SUVs. And maybe it's a little selfish of me, but honestly, i care more about THAT, then their effect on the environment.

That was you? Sorry

Re: Observation about "going Green."

Posted by Snickers
"Well, now that I am pregnant and going to start a family, I NEED an SUV."



No. You don't. Our parents bussed us around just fine in a beat up sedan. You WANT an SUV, and that's fine, but I can't take the NEED part.

Re: Observation about "going Green."

Re: Observation about "going Green."

Posted by neenie

My issue with SUVs has more to do with the fact that a substantial number of people driving them SSSUCK! They're driving a car that's 10 times bigger than they need, while talking on their phones turning around to yell at their kids, and staring at their nav screen instead of the road. They drive on the middle of the white lines and then give you the "OOOPs, sorry" look when they almost run you off of the road b/c you were in (one of their many) blind spots. Yes, bad drivers exist in ALL types of cars, but i hate how much more dangerous they are in SUVs. And maybe it's a little selfish of me, but honestly, i care more about THAT, then their effect on the environment.

Re: Observation about "going Green."

Posted by MsMBV
Neither is better. My point was that other cars are inefficient as SUVs, yet SUVs seem to be at the core of all of the "going green" arguements.

Re: Observation about "going Green."

I think SUVs get ragged on because they sort of sum up America's case of "affluenza" or Bigger is better attitude.
To me they symbolize(along with a few other things) why Americans are hated worldwide.
We are pigs, we waste, we are selfish, we create more garbage than is even believable, we eat garbage.
People are constantly complaining about gas prices & cost of living & taxes & everything else yet the majority of people do not want to be inconvenienced enough to do anything different.
Private planes & helicopters are very wasteful, as well as gas guzzling boats but not too many of my peers have those & I think if most of the "regular" people made a slight change we could have a huge impact.

I get that large families need bigger vehicles, and someday if we show the car manufacturer's that we don't want gas pigs, they'll build station wagons & mini vans that are good on gas or run on alternative energy.
As long as we support the gravy train for car co's & oil companies-they will keep it coming with the pigs we love.
BTW, our government is lying to us about ethanol, I have read several books & articles authored by US farmers that say they can grow enough corn to significantly reduce our dependence on oil. Our government would like us to believe that growing corn for ethanol is too expensive & its even caused the price of milk to rise. All lies.

People need to look at the big picture & make choices based on what they believe is right.
Be the change you want to see in the world....or do nothing & hope our great grandchildren can figure out how to build their houses out of all the Poland spring bottles & black garbage bags we left for them.

Re: Observation about "going Green."

As an SUV owner I have to agree with you. I love having a SUV and I get tired of everyone telling me I drive a gas guzzler. First off, I don't. My car gets excellent gas mileage and I only drive it to and from work or in bad weather. Which means I only drive it about 150 miles per week. We drive my husband's camry on the weekend to save the mileage on my car and to save the gas. I like driving a SUV. I'm short and I feel much more comfortable driving one. And now with the 2nd baby on the way I like that my car has the optional 3rd row. It gives me plenty of room in the car and the optional 3rd row has enabled us to carpool when I have my family visiting and we go into the city. Or when we go out with a group of people. So rather than take 2 cars, my "gas guzzler" allows us to take one car and save on gas that way.

What I don't get is the people that drive the Hummers and other cars like them. To me that is excessive. But everybody is entitled to drive the kind of car that they want and the kind that fits their needs the most. Personally I don't understand how a single person "needs" a hummer, but that's just me.

As I said in my last post about Going green. I do what I can to cut back on waste. I make choices that I feel are good environmental choices. I try not to waste things. But I also want to be comfortable when I'm driving. And I want to drink the water that I feel comfortable drinking. So maybe I am selfish in that sense. But I don't think I'm selfish when I'm managing carrying a 3 year old while I'm pregnant and balancing groceries not in bags so that I don't waste plastic bags or paper bags for that matter. I don't think I'm selfish when I'm donating tons of clothes, books, videos, games, etc. so other people can enjoy and so that I don't waste. Nor when I am cleaning out containers so that I can recycle them. Yes my car uses more gas than a sedan but I do feel as if I make up for it in so many other ways.

Re: Observation about "going Green."

Re: Observation about "going Green."

I am pretty much in agreement with KellyFG (not sure b/c I skimmed LOL)

yeah...we don't really have more kids than they do in other parts of the world, and you have to see the size of most European cars.

SUVS and larger cars are becoming a bit more popular b/c they are popular here, and they are popping up like MickyD's and Starbucks did/are.

but for the most part, people with 2 kids over there drive smaller cars.

I mean, do we NEED to shop at Costco and buy the MEGA paper towels, toilet paper, and economy size bath soap? no. we WANT to.

My parents had 5 kids. 5. and we never stepped foot in a costco. somehow we always managed to wash the windows and wipe our arses.

We, as the biggest waste producer in the world...and yes, that means each individual one of us that contributes to this...must take a step back and ask..

How much am I willing to take a step backward...will I forsake convenience for a little more hard work to make a difference in my world?

We drive a 2 seater car, albeit a six cylinder..that we purchased 5 years ago b/c we knew little about all these inconveniet truths. In the next year or so we will be in the market for a new one. And it WILL be something the fits our NEEDS in respect to size and horsepower.

unless I have 4 or more children, we will not own a car that seats more than 5 people.

It's a family car, not a car service. Like our friends/family do now, they will have to fend for themselves.

Just like the Earth does.

Message edited 1/15/2008 10:20:09 AM.

Re: Observation about "going Green."

Re: Observation about "going Green."

I drive an SUV. I get great gas mileage. Not sure of the number exactly...
I am pregnant. And we are getting a new SUV. Not for any reason other than my current SUV has 150,000+ miles on it, and that makes me nervous.
I will shop with gas mileage in mind when looking for an SUV- we are probably getting a small one that only seats 5 anyway.
We use our SUV off road often, as my husband is a surfer and several area beaches allow SUV access to the shore.
We work hard to be able to enjoy the fruits of our labors and our recreation time.
I consider myself a friend to the environment- I am very conscious of recycling, reducing, and reusing.
I do what I can.


In short- the SUV arguement is often an ignorant sweeping generalization. You have to suss out the people who actually know what they're talking about- those with facts.
Don't worry about people condeming you for driving an SUV. You know yourself better than anyone- you know if you're doing what you can for the environment.

Re: Observation about "going Green."

Re: Observation about "going Green."

Re: Observation about "going Green."

EXACTLY! Both of you are right on the money.

I don't have any qualms about owning an SUV- though I would never buy an obscenely large one, because I have no need for it. i can't speak for others.
Yes- we can park and walk- and we often do. We could also take public transportation to work, but no THANKS!
(LI buses, not LIRR or subways!)

I prefer to buy used furniture.
I am glad to take my cousin's son's hand me downs.
I use reusable grocery bags.
I organized all the wrapping paper form Xmas and made sure it went out on paper pickup day.
I have a water filter on my kitchen faucet.
I don't run the water while I brush my teeth.
I use a reusable thermos for my daily dose of Starbucks.
I use Seventh Generation products.
My husband and I are both diligent about turning off lights in rooms when we leave them.

But I drive an SUV.

I am not Earth's enemy.

Re: Observation about "going Green."

I have to drive an SUV because what car am I going to drive that will hold 2 carseats and a double stroller.

Re: Observation about "going Green."

Re: Observation about "going Green."

Posted by Ophelia
again, not trying to be a snot, but we are not the first generation of humans to have twins (regular or Irish ) or big cumbersome strollers.

Message edited 1/15/2008 11:05:40 AM.

Re: Observation about "going Green."

Re: Observation about "going Green."

When I think of SUVs I can't help but think of the blond-streaked Hofstra girls (not as insult to Hofstra alumni..if you went to HU, you know what a "hofstra girl" is) who couldn't drive or park the damn things and would smash other people's cars and/or cause congestion trying to park the monstrousities on their cellphones.

Those people do NOT need SUVs. I'm not going to argue whether some people need or do not need SUVs, but a lot of people have them because they are/were trendy. The same people buying SUVs today would probably not buy a minivan if SUVs were not available.

Re: Observation about "going Green."

Posted by Blazesyth

Posted by Snickers
"Well, now that I am pregnant and going to start a family, I NEED an SUV."



No. You don't. Our parents bussed us around just fine in a beat up sedan. You WANT an SUV, and that's fine, but I can't take the NEED part.

DH and I say this all the time. January, a couple finds out they are pregnant. By April, they have a SUV.

Re: Observation about "going Green."

Re: Observation about "going Green."

Posted by ~Colleen~

Also the strollers today are like Rolls Royces - aside from the prams that were popular in the 70s, the strollers were rinky-dink nothings.

That said, I agree with you & Kelly on this matter.

Re: Observation about "going Green."

I agree with a lot of the statements on here, and one poster even recommended that if you need space, get a bigger car rather than an SUV. Although there are fuel-efficient large cars, most are on par with the efficient of an SUV, and are more difficult to fit everything in.

When we were kids our parents took us around in umbrella strollers that fit under the back seat. Infant seats were smaller. We did not watch DVDs in the car when we travelled. We were allowed to sit in the back of the station wagon without seatbelts, and finally, we did not need booster seats until we were 12.

These things take up more room. And although I agree that we drive more than others (for example my cousins in England walk to their son's football games rather than drive with the whole neighborhood piling into a minivan), and I do agree that many people do not "need" the extra space but just "want" it.

I also agree that the Government is lying about ethanol & biofuel. I think that is also why people need to be aware of how fuel oil affects the environment on a large scale, because we have to get our local legislators to storm Washington and demand these changes.

Re: Observation about "going Green."