Obama and the smaller carbon footprint

[sleepyjeff]

Originally Posted by Tenigma

I know others have mentioned it but I thought I'd add a note here, since i've been following the coverage of his vacation in Hawaii.

I grew up in Hawaii. He's vacationing there but he's also visiting his grandma, who's rather old and he wanted to visit while he had a chance. Hawaii may be portrayed as exotic by the visitors' bureau but trust me, it's a lot like Southern California.

His reasons for traveling or no more or less valid than anyone else's. He does, however, travel more than most people and therefore he pollutes more...water bottle or not.

[Gemini Cricket]

Originally Posted by sleepyjeff

His reasons for traveling or no more or less valid than anyone else's. He does, however, travel more than most people and therefore he pollutes more...water bottle or not.

I think the water bottle "incident" could get more people to drink tap water in Hawai'i and elsewhere. Could the benefit of more people not buying/using plastic water bottles outweigh his plane usage? Don't know, but I think it starts a dialogue about tap water and bottled water. That's a good thing.

And no one, no candidate no celebrity etc is 100% green. It is impossible. What is Obama supposed to do? Catapult to Hawai'i? Is Jolie supposed to swim to Africa?

[sleepyjeff]

Originally Posted by Gemini Cricket

And no one, no candidate no celebrity etc is 100% green. It is impossible. What is Obama supposed to do? Catapult to Hawaii?

It's not that he's not 100% green....it's that he's polluting far more than most people(that, in itself, I have no problem with). If he's going to get points for being "green" shouldn't he be at least as green as the average American?

As for catapulting to Hawaii......well, yes, I suppose if one must visit an Island flying is the only practical way. However, when he gets back to campaigning here in the States will he do it on the back of a train(which creates only 1/10 the pollution per passenger mile as a Jet plane) or will he continue to fly himself and his entourage around the country creating more pollution in a couple of months than my family will in our entire lives?

[Ghoulish Delight]

Originally Posted by sleepyjeff

It's not that he's not 100% green....it's that he's polluting far more than most people(that, in itself, I have no problem with). If he's going to get points for being "green" shouldn't he be at least as green as the average American?

All you can ask of anyone is to be as green as they can be while accomplishing the things they are trying to accomplish.

Take the hypothetical invention of a hybrid big rig truck. By your logic, switching from a diesel truck to a hybrid truck for a shipping company, while still driving the same shipping routes is not really a greener choice because the average American doesn't drive that much. A hybrid truck that drives cross country will pollute more than my traditional combustion engine car that I drive only for my commute. So that truck company has done nothing green because they use more than I do.

Travel is a job requirement for a Presidential candidate. He can't perform his job without traveling. To say his not green because he travels more than most Americans is an absurdity.

[sleepyjeff]

Originally Posted by Ghoulish Delight

All you can ask of anyone is to be as green as they can be while accomplishing the things they are trying to accomplish.


Travel is a job requirement for a Presidential candidate. He can't perform his job without traveling. To say his not green because he travels more than most Americans is an absurdity.

So we've established here today that it's ok to pollute the planet if your job requires it or if you are on vacation...so long as you, once in a while, do some small gesture, a nod if you will, towards living a more green lifestyle.

.

[Tenigma]

Originally Posted by sleepyjeff

So we've established here today that it's ok to pollute the planet if your job requires it or if you are on vacation...so long as you, once in a while, do some small gesture, a nod if you will, towards living a more green lifestyle.

Is it OK on LoT to call people for trolling if that's what they're doing?!?

[Ghoulish Delight]

Originally Posted by Tenigma

Is it OK on LoT to call people for trolling if that's what they're doing?!?

It is. But Sleepy's not a troll. Just horribly misguided.

[Tenigma]

Originally Posted by sleepyjeff

His reasons for traveling or no more or less valid than anyone else's. He does, however, travel more than most people and therefore he pollutes more...water bottle or not.

The man is actively campaigning for the highest seat in US government. What do you expect him to do, visit from his Barcolounger?

I'm the OP for this thread, and I posted it because I thought it was a nifty little tidbit that I happened to catch buried well into an article published in the local Honolulu newspaper. It was a way for the reporter to pepper her article with a little bit of personality and what she saw happen. She didn't make a huge deal about it, but I wanted to highlight it because even thought it was a very small act, it told a little bit more to me about the candidate.

[sleepyjeff]

Originally Posted by Tenigma

The man is actively campaigning for the highest seat in US government. What do you expect him to do, visit from his Barcolounger?

I'm the OP for this thread, and I posted it because I thought it was a nifty little tidbit that I happened to catch buried well into an article published in the local Honolulu newspaper. It was a way for the reporter to pepper her article with a little bit of personality and what she saw happen. She didn't make a huge deal about it, but I wanted to highlight it because even thought it was a very small act, it told a little bit more to me about the candidate.

I'd expect him to do what he's doing.....and that's great that he refused the bottle(although he doesn't seem to have a problem drinking tea from bottles, but I digress).......but let's not label him some environmental hero until his sacrifices come a little closer to what he'd have the rest of us sacrifice first.

[Gemini Cricket]

Originally Posted by sleepyjeff

(although he doesn't seem to have a problem drinking tea from bottles, but I digress)

I don't understand that. So, the next time he feels like a Coke he should drink homemade Coke that he and Michelle make in their kitchen instead of buying one in a plastic bottle? Tea doesn't come from the tap. His point was that there's no difference between the quality of bottled water and the water in Hawai'i. And if ten people, for example, stop buying water in plastic water bottles because of what he did, I think it's quite an accomplishment.