SUVs were the equivalent of the long, low, automobiles with tail fins and “port holes” in their sides of the 1960s — a waste of resources that, in the end, greatly damaged the American economy, the environment, and will hardly be missed.
Ralph Maughan
Dr. Ralph Maughan is professor emeritus of political science at Idaho State University. He was a Western Watersheds Project Board Member off and on for many years, and was also its President for several years. For a long time he produced Ralph Maughan's Wolf Report. He was a founder of the Greater Yellowstone Coalition. He and Jackie Johnson Maughan wrote three editions of "Hiking Idaho." He also wrote "Beyond the Tetons" and "Backpacking Wyoming's Teton and Washakie Wilderness." He created and is the administrator of The Wildlife News.
Now let me do some mathematics (from Gallons to Liter and from Euro to Dollar). Ok, here in Germany we are at the moment at 10 Dollar a Gallon with no longer a price difference for the different octane levels and diesel fuel no longer cheaper. The SUV market here is still booming, thus our SUVs are a bit more efficient than your´s.
Well, it was just a matter of time anyway. SUVs just aren’t efficient anymore.
http://goesdownbitter.wordpress.com/2008/06/05/driving-clueless/
There is more to it then that. It’s the myopic world view they have.
Will the CEO at GM get a “golden parachute” when he gets fired for being so far behind the times? GM should have hired President Carter 30 years ago when he predicted the energy crisis. But instead this country elected Ronald Reagan who was so myopic about energy that the first thing he did, upon being elected president, was to have the solar panels from from the White House (that Carter had installed). I always thought that instead of naming an aircraft carrier after Reagan–for allegely winning the cold war–the Exxon Valdez oil tanker should have been renamed the “Ronald Reagan”!
FOR SALE (cheap):-(
1992 Suburban
2004 Suburban
2007 Dodge 1 ton pu with 6.7 Cummings
500 Gal. Bulk Fuel Tank with 12 v pump and $2,000.00 worth of gas…
Will trade for one old horse, or 1950s, one speed Bike… with newspaper delivery basket (like I used to have)
“GM should have hired President Carter 30 years ago when he predicted the energy crisis.”
If he were running GM how would he find time to run around and hold hands with every low-life dictator in the world.
Timz: Have you forgotten your history, every rupublican & democratic president have been “holding hands” with the “leaders” of China who make most “tin-pot” dictators look like small -time thieves.
If Jimmy Carter ran GM like he ran the country GM would have closed shop 30 years ago.
The hard thing is living out here in Rural Land. We can’t just not drive at all though I myself just walk allot. No public transportation here.
I haven’t owned a 4-wheeled vehicle since 2002 when I junked my 1970 Oldsmobile. I’ve been riding an 80’s Honda motorcycle since 1996. The price of gas hurts me too I can’t afford to take my little bike trips anymore for a couple of bucks.
I still believe that if you get good gas mileage from a smaller vehicle that weighs less, you should pay less for a gallon than some shiny roadhog that gets 9 miles a gallon. I feel sorry for the people that have no choice and have to drive these big vehicles for work or transportation.
We all have choices…
Jeff,
There is NO choice where I live, I either drive a 4WD or I maintain two homes(both are expensive!), one for summer and one for winter, which around my parts last a long time, we are still getting snow at times where I live, and had as much as 180 inches on the ground at one time this last winter..
You choose to live where you do and to do what you do. As I said, “We all make choices…”
My wife makes most of my choices.
Well,
I will gladly make that choice, if it means I don’t have to live on the mean streets of America!
My girl makes my choices but yet we agree on them. That’s love.
If the stuff hits the fan I think the rural small communities are where you’re going to want to be. There’s land to farm. Livestock to eat.
We drive a mini van b/c we’ve got three kids in booster/carseats. If we didn’t we need to drive two cars everywhere. However we don’t go far so we only use 30 bucks in gas on it per week. My husband drives a small fuel efficient forgien car we only ut 40 in per week. He drive it to work.
He works for honda, for now.
Saw a fresh diagram this morning about gas costs per Litre (1 Gallon = 3,78 Litres) worldwide, in Euro:
First (most expensive) is Norway (1,60), followed by Germany (1,50), Europe average is 1,30, USA is 0,70 which still is in the lower center !! By the way, cheapest is Venezuela (0,08)
Venezuela again, it is 0,0eight (in case I get that eight converted into a smiley again!)