so when are we going to proclaim Wednesday as the day no cars can

[donsu]

be driven? (not talking about commercial vehicles, ems, fire, etc.)

we have to take a first step to stop global warming. talking about it isn't stopping it. planning reductions for future years won't stop it.

will we be brave

or will we sit on the couch and watch the world crumble

[LynneSin]

1. When someone is willing to pay my salary for the day of work missed

Sorry, some of us need our cars. Now I'll do my part to carpool (I do 2 days a week when our schedule works out) and I'll drive a fuel efficient car. But I am not giving up my car nor am I using a public tranportation system which in our area would take 90minutes for what is a 15 minute drive.

But we have other choices to make a different. I won't use Exxon gas and in fact stick with Citgo when it's available. I won't buy a car from companies that won't make an effort with global warming. It's the little things that we can do that'll add up

[donsu]

4. so you are not willing to do your part in saving the earth?

you couldn't possibly find another way to work? you couldn't work on an off day to make up for Wed?

[Bill McBlueState]

7. "you couldn't work on an off day to make up for Wed"

What would this accomplish, besides really screwing up her schedule? She'd still be driving to work, just not on a Wednesday.

Unlike, say, Europe, most of the United States is laid out in such a way that you have to have a car to get anything done. Living within walking distance of work is impossible or prohibitively expensive for many people, and our leaders have no reason to establish reliable public transit. Shaming people into not driving isn't going to work, or it's at best a small part of the solution. What we really need is affordable city-center housing and dependable public transit. Even then, in much of the country the population density is just way too low for anything but private cars to work.

But, given the need for cars, one can own a more fuel-efficient car, one can try to organize a carpool, one can run errands in a way that minimizes driving, etc. These are the things we should be encouraging people to do.

[LynneSin]

11. Thank you

Your comments are very much appreciated.

As noble of a cause that this is, it's also unrealistic for many of us. Perhaps Wedesday we can find other things to do to help the environment like turn off the AC or adjust our thermostats a bit so we use less energy

[LynneSin]

10. Well, now let's think about this

I've been blessed with the opportunity of a great job that pays well. Now I have to drive to work although there is a co-worker who I can work out a carpool a few times a week when our schedule works out. Now I take that opportunity I have with my job and funnel some of my salary back into candidates and organizations who help support the environment. I have the opportunity drive a big gas guzzler but I choose to drive a gas efficient car instead. And because I would lose 3 hours of my day using public transportation system for what literally is a 30min roundtrip drive tops, I would rather use that time to help said candidates/causes instead.

Now my job requires me to work M-F, so no, I along with probably thousands of other are needed in our job during those hours and anyhow, I usually spend my weekends, especially this year, helping out with environmentally friendly causes and candidates. Anyhow, what difference does it make to drive my car not on Wednesday but turn around and drive in on a Saturday?

Now, if you still think that for some bizarro reason I am failing to to help save the earth because myself and thousands of very consciously pro-environmentalist people who plan to use their cars on Wednesday or any given day of the week - especially the work week, we'll then you can kiss my ass because I find that mentality defeating to the overall cause of saving the earth. I mean at least I live near public transportation - are you saying something who lives out in the rural parts of the state near no public transportation is just basically shit in your book because they have no choice but to use their car? I find that a piss-poor attitude and probably one of the reasons we lose support - intolerance is hardly a noble cause when trying to get others on board to support you.

So as noble as an idea it is, for the vast majority of us, it is simply NOT FEASIBLE. Not sure what part of that you do NOT understand and I feel sorry if you're so pathetic as to not realize that for many of us we need our jobs and yes our cars too but we're willing to find other ways to make a difference.

Any questions?

[Sammy Pepys]

2. Why Wednesday? n/t

.....

[donsu]

6. seems like Tues, Wed or Thurs would be the better days, but any

work day would do. the thing is we all have to do it on the same day in order to make a big difference.

[MadHound]

8. The thing is that people have different needs, schedules, abilities

Like I said earlier, get a plan that works for you, and use it. Most folks have to drive to their job, but perhaps they can get a more fuel efficient vehicle, or bike. Or maybe they can insulate their house, add solar panels, something like that. And then there are folks who are simply caught in an economic bind where they really can't do these things right now, so they do what they can, when they can.

It isn't a matter of everybody not driving on a particular day, it is a matter of people doing what they can, according to their ability, when they can do it.

[MadHound]

3. Don't know about you, but everyday that is clear and above freezing

I'm not driving a car for my fifty two mile round trip commute. Instead I'm riding my little 145cc Bajaj scooter. It cruises at 55mph, it gets 100mpg.

Taking that money that I'm saving and will roll it over into a woodstove this fall, in order that I can radically decrease my consumption of propane. Here in a couple of years, I can roll that combined savings over into a wind-turbine so that I can generate my own electricity.

Get a plan friend, one that works for you, and then implement it. Don't wait for others, or some mass movement to give you the nod. Just do it(god did I just say that:blush:)

[donsu]

5. Madhound cares - thank you

nt

[LynneSin]

12. and what - I don't care

This, my friends, is why our party fails us - because we're all "It's my way or you suck" mentality.

It's a big tent my friend - learn to accept everyone or one day you'll show up and nobody will be there

[lostnfound]

9. Putting people on 4-10s whenever possible would be a good start.

Or better yet, 4-8s.

[pooja]

13. People who work in service industry can't do this

Especially at a hotel... can you imagine what it would look like if no one showed up... nothing would be left.

[donsu]

14. I'm not saying don't go to work , I'm saying find a way to go that isn't

by car. and of course everybody couldn't do it.

but can you come up with a plan to decrease car emissions RIGHT NOW instead of some furture date. global warming won't wait for us to come up with a plan.

come on - how can we cut car emissions NOW?

tick, tick, tick

nobody said saving the earth would be easy or fun