Quote:
|
Originally Posted by roachboy
3. on doing individual actions to reduce pteroleum dependency---well, they are something, yes? i sometimes wonder about this...for example because i ride a bike all over the place, i use a messenger bag to carry groceries in, but i dont have the impression that impacts on the production of plastic bags. but i do it anyway--but it isnt really a matter of principle. it's just a pragmatic thing that follows from other choices. i guess the bigger choice was getting rid of my car, my ultimate homeboy car, my 98. but even that was mostly just a pragmatic choice--i live in a city, what do i need a car for? if i want one, i'll rent one. if i dont, i wont. but again, i dont see any particular effects of this on the overall number of cars being driven (judging from the numbers that i encounter riding around chicago, doing all the lunatic things that people make their cars do)...maybe it's simplest to have larger-scale matters like Reduction of Petroleum Dependency as subtexts or second-order motivations for what you do, but to do them and stick to them for other, smaller reasons.
|
You know it brings up a point and that is what difference does it make. I mean if enough people that wanted to reduce oil consumption stopped driving, etc. enough to see a measurable impact on demand for oil, wouldn't that reduced demand lower prices, not to mention reduce congestion on the roads? But then wouldn't that just improve driving conditions, thus encouraging the rest of the people to drive more?
This came up when talking about congestion pricing. Taking cars off the street actually encouraged more car usage. The same problems face traffic engineers everywhere. If they build a new lane, it won't just fill up with overflow from other lanes, but the fact that the road can then handle more traffic will attract that traffic, often negating any gain made from the new lane or road in a matter of months.
So yes, that you do what you do for more practical, 'smaller reasons' as you put it, is a good thing I think, because that sticks. I don't go overboard and drive more vehicle than I need, but I don't make my family go without to prove commitment to a principle either.