U.S. lifestyle won't have to change in CO2 cut: report

[Eugene]

Source: Reuters

U.S. lifestyle won't have to change in CO2 cut: report
Thu Nov 29, 2007 5:29pm EST

By Timothy Gardner

NEW YORK (Reuters) - U.S. citizens will not have
to drive less or read in the dark to slash greenhouse
gas emissions by 2030, but they will have to buy more
efficient cars and appliances, a report from two
business groups said on Thursday.

"You may have different lightbulbs, and your car may
be made of different materials, but basically we've
assumed that consumer lifestyles stay constant," Jack
Stephenson, a director at McKinsey & Company, a
business consultant group told reporters on a
teleconference call from Washington.

McKinsey published the report called "Reducing U.S.
Greenhouse Emissions: How Much at What Cost?" with
The Conference Board, a research group.

The United States could reduce projected 2030
emissions of greenhouse gases by between one-third
to one-half at manageable costs to the economy, the
report found. Its mid-range case found that cutting
3 billion metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent
from the United States by 2030 would cost an average
about $50 billion annually, or a total of $1.1
trillion.

-snip-

Read more: http://www.reuters.com/article/environmentNews/idUSN2923217120071129

[seriousstan]

1. Well, let me run right out and spend all that "extra" money on more efficient appliances.

Come on, everybody join me. You selfish bastards.

[dantyrant]

2. Meet the new consumerism.

Same as the old consumerism.

[seriousstan]

3. .The bastards will soon mandate we spend the money to go "green".

[ronnie624]

4. Right.

Success in dealing with global climate change requires our immediate attention. Our survival depends not only on radical changes to our lifestyles, but changes to our fundamental attitudes and values as well.

Apparently, most people will continue to live in fantasy land, right up to the brink of our extinction.

[Yavapai]

5. In terms of a long term investment,

those more efficient cars and appliances will save you money in the long run.

With all the incentives out there for installing Solar power, I can't understand why more people don't take advantage of it. Yes, we paid $20,000 to install ours, but the Federal government, the state of Arizona and power company paid about 1/3 of it and I now figure the system will pay the other 2/3 of it in 5 years. After that, It will pay me and I can brag about my smaller carbon footprint to all you wonderful folks.

We replaced almost all our incandescent lights with florescent lights and have learned to turn them off when we leave a room. We replaced our small freezer and refrigerator with energy star larger ones and went from 2160 watts to under a 1000 watts. We still have a long ways to go yet, but it sure is giving us a better return that the 1.5% interest we were getting with that money in a savings account.

[peacebird]

7. A solar hotwater heater will pay for itself in about 3 to 5 years for an average family

Our electric bill dropped by a third when we installed ours! The photo voltaic solar panels we added keep our electric bill down to just the taxes and fees (about $35 a month) in spring and fall, and in the summer our bill is still under half that of our non-solar friends and relatives.

We also replaced all bulbs with energy efficient ones, and replaced our appliances when they failed with energy star rated more efficient models. I like trying to find ways to cut my footprint, buying local food and organic is another way to help.

When we bought our Prius three years ago my coworkers laughed at me and said it would never pay for itself... We bought it for the mileage AND the zero emissions, so we weren't worried about it "paying for itself" at the pump. Then gas went up to over $3 a gallon and they aren't laughing now. I get 54mpg in summer and 49 in winter.

[razzleberry]

6. buy phoney carbon offsets, absolves you of McMansion sins .nt

[sss1977]

8. What's this?

A solution that involves purchasing new and improved things? Now THAT's something an American can handle. In fact, that's pretty much about all we know how to do anymore.

[OneBlueSky]

9. wonderful . . . no need to change our wasteful lifestyle . . . sheesh . . . n/t

.

[depakid]

10. America's wasteful "lifestyle" is non-negotiable

until it isn't.

[Tesha]

11. Report: Camels seen flying through eyes of needles. Pictures at 11! (NT)

[leftist_not_liberal]

12. WHAT UTTER BULLSHIT

.

[Delphinus]

13. Thank you.

I thought I was the only one to think that. But, then again, I just got up and maybe I woke up in a different timeline.

[Mnemosyne]

14. "a report from two business groups" - all you need to know. n/t

[Javaman]

15. Bwahahahahahaha!!! is this from the Onion?????

Good fucking lord.

somewhere between the reports on peak oil and the brains of this writer something was lost in the translation.

translation: "folks you can still get your 5 dollar latte's in the future, only they will cost 50 dollars then!".

this is really desperate.