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Old 01-26-2013, 01:19 PM   #394 (permalink)
jamesqf
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Quote:
Originally Posted by niky View Post
We can do renewables, but we have to be prepared for an energy poor lifestyle as opposed to the current one in which we waste huge amounts of energy without a second thought.
It's an attitude problem. Am I "food poor" because I don't eat 10,000 calories a day, and carry around 50-100 pounds (or more) of blubber? Because I don't need an electric mobility scooter to haul my flabby body around the local WalMart? Even though my calorie intake is such that I can happily spend a day hiking up the local mountains, biking, riding the horse, cross-country skiing?

Same with energy: I have light when I want it, keep my house at a comfortable temperature, have all the hot water I can use, run my computers & such. So am I "energy poor" because my monthly kWh usage (and hence my power bill) is less than half that of my neighbors? Because I spend less than a quarter as much on gas?

I don't think so - and I will tell you that I'm a whole lot closer to being money rich than my non-energy poor neighbors :-)