The Chicago Auto Show is an annual highlight for our kids. They love to look at cars. One day soon, they will like driving cars; but let's not talk about that day just yet.
The auto show reminded me of the self-destructive and conflictual nature of American consumer appetites. On the one hand, there were hybrids and cars that ran on ethanol based fuels. On the other, I noticed that cars are getting bigger with poorer gas mileage. Why Americans are obsessed with gas-guzzling, high-priced SUVs and CUVs is beyond me.
Question: How does one deal with a poor economy, raising gas prices, and an endangered environment?
Answer: Bigger cars that eat more gas and which also cost a small fortune. Oh, and to make us feel more concientious, we'll throw in a few hybrids.
Posted by Frank Yamada at February 23, 2006 08:13 PMWhy Americans are obsessed with gas-guzzling, high-priced SUVs and CUVs is beyond me.
I'll bite: My impression from the anecdotal evidence is that, many drivers say they "feel safer" sitting way up high in these things. The fact that they are not in fact safer is sort of treated as irrelevent. Insert here my usual tirade against "feeling" as a substitute for "thinking" in our culture.
Auto show sounds fun. Not having Matt around these days, I don't get to the outdoors shows anymore either.
Posted by: Baruch Grazer at February 23, 2006 11:34 PMHmmm, feeling safe = driving bigger cars = lower gas mileage = spending tons of money for car and gas = using up more fossil fuels = more emissions = accelerated global warming = devastation on earth = not very safe.
Net losses:
-spent tons of money
-more time wasted (buying gas)
-depletion of natural resource
-harming the environment
-melting the ice caps
Net gains:
-I "feel" safe when I drive
Sounds like we've all become Bush-ites. Spend a lot of money, use up natural (and human) resources to provide a "feeling" of safety.
Posted by: Frank at February 24, 2006 03:50 AM"Bush-ites?" Not everyone driving a gas guzzling SUV is a conservative Republican. Believe it or not, some conservative Republicans actually care about the environment and drive small cars, too!
:-D
By "Bush-ites," I didn't mean Republicans. I actually know some Republicans, who are decent human beings ;)
It seems to me that we, as the American public, seem to copying our president's policies in our buying behaviors.
Posted by: Frank at February 25, 2006 08:30 PM