Bush to ask Americans to stop guzzling gas

[MetroMPG]

Bush to ask Americans to stop guzzling gas

WASHINGTON — In his first State of the Union address to a Democratic-controlled Congress, President Bush is calling for Americans to slash gasoline consumption by up to 20 per cent by 2017. Bush envisions the goal being achieved primarily through a sharp escalation in the amount of ethanol and other alternative fuels that the federal government mandates must be produced. The rest of the fuel use reduction is to come from raising fuel economy standards for passenger cars, Joel Kaplan, White House deputy chief of staff, told reporters in a briefing before Bush's Tuesday night speech to a joint session of Congress.

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servl.../Business/home

[TomO]

hmm, good intentions, but a day late and a dollar short. Well, actually 30 years late and who knows how many millions short??

It is good to see that this issue is starting to "really" get addressed though.

[zpiloto]

Fat chance at $2.00 a gallon.

[TomO]

Originally Posted by zpiloto

Fat chance at $2.00 a gallon.

Agreed, especially when the gas prices have been between $1.82 and $1.88 for almost two weeks now around me.

Side note: I wonder how many people will actually listen to the president that has achieved the worst popularity rating ever?

[Silveredwings]

Oh man, don't get me started.
Rhetoric, rhetoric, rhetoric. Find a parade and get in front of it. Last year he correctly accused us of being addicted to oil, the next day he had his spin lackeys retract the statement as a misunderstanding after King Abdullah asked him just what he thought he was doing.

slash gasoline consumption by up to 20 per cent by 2017

20 percent of exactly what? The 2050 projections?

Depending primarily on ethanol and alternative fuels means "folks, don't change an F'ing thing about what or how you drive."

How much are we proposing to raise FE standards? 0.5 mpg? It was once 27.5 but is now something like 22 (Toecutter help me out here...).

...sorry, you just had to get me started, didn't you.

Seriously, I wish these words were more than a feeble attempt to pacify his opposition.

[Silveredwings]

Originally Posted by theclencher

This from the same admin that treats wasteful energy consumption as a god-given american right. Hmmm, the same guy that killed the PNGV program, the same party that opposed CAFE increases, the same guy that gave tax incentives for large truck and suv purchases. Hmmmm.

Don't forget over $14B in gifts to pig oil.

[MetroMPG]

This week the Canadian media has been full of reports of our Conservative government suddenly funding environmental programs (investment into renewables, conservation programs) that it slashed a year ago when they took power.

Very much a "getting in front of the parade" thing, as polls here have shown a significant shift over the last 12 months in public attitudes on energy use, emissions & the environment.

Others are saying they don't care whether it's just cynical politics that is leading to the legislation, or genuine interest, as long as it happens.

[cfg83]

Hello -

I would just love it if bush wore a sweater when he's reading from his arm scribbles. I'm sure that President Carter could spare one. Irony is a dish best served with a snit-eating grin!

CarloSW2

[roadrunner]

Do anyone have any idea how much OIL our President uses in one year? When he was running for election in 2004 he came into our area three times on his jet, and stopped traffic for miles, while his caravan of huge SUV's went driving by. I know, for I was stopped for 0.5 hour twice so he could visit our area. I would like to say more, but......................

[roadrunner]

Originally Posted by theclencher

How could I forget that?

I like it!

[Silveredwings]

Originally Posted by MetroMPG

Others are saying they don't care whether it's just cynical politics that is leading to the legislation, or genuine interest, as long as it happens.

Well, IMHO since the rhetoric is used to defuse the situation rather than solve the problems, they usually just return to the business-as-usual of pandering to corporate interests sooner.

[thisisntjared]

so hahahah is there anyone here that is not a democrat?

[ELF]

Originally Posted by thisisntjared

so hahahah is there anyone here that is not a democrat?

I'm not a democrat, I'm not a republican either.

[Matt Timion]

Originally Posted by thisisntjared

so hahahah is there anyone here that is not a democrat?

Eh, I've been affiliated with no party since I registered to vote. Too much corruption on both sides of the issue.

BTW, Jared... i belong to a number of forums and the "bush bashing" is coming from both sides of the fence these days.

[SVOboy]

Originally Posted by thisisntjared

so hahahah is there anyone here that is not a democrat?

Socialism FTW.

[Silveredwings]

Originally Posted by thisisntjared

so hahahah is there anyone here that is not a democrat?

I'm neither.

[thisisntjared]

Originally Posted by theclencher

But frankly, repubs and dems both have me thoroughly disgusted and I don't expect any miracles out of either of 'em.

thats how i feel. and now i feel the real problem is that the president is one and the legislative branch is the other. meaning if something gets done then it is a miracle.

i understand there is a lot of bush bashing everywhere, and thats just how the position is. every president gets heat because nobody is perfect.

ben a socialist? no...

anyway, given the response, i have a new question. is anybody here a democrat or a republican?

[thisisntjared]

ftw = for the win

[The Toecutter]

The same president who helped kill the electric vehicle is now asking Americans to conserve, when there is a very poorly developed mass transit system? This is the president who's former Chief of Staff, Andrew Card, acted as plaintiff against the state of California during a court case involving the ZEV mandate. This is the president who's Department of Justice filed an amicus brief supporting GM, Ford, and Chrysler in their goal of stopping the ZEV mandate.

And now he's expecting Americans to conserve when sufficient practical outlets have been stifled? Won't happen. We need alternatives to our current way of life, and for most people, they do not fit in with any economic reality because our government has using the tax system to fund a very wasteful lifestyle since the post WII days, which artificially penalizes lower impact lifestyles.

There is a lot we can do to conserve, but with today's level of technology, Americans shouldn't have to sacrifice to a huge degree in order for conservation to be achieved. The problem is, people like Bush have made sure our only choices are "use lots of oil" or "go without", by stifling certain technology.

Americans are going to keep thinking with their wallets, and as long as gasoline is artificially low in price due to tax subsidies, as long as mass transit isn't well developed, and as long as alternative fuels aren't available, Americans are going to keep on guzzling gas well before they will conserve. Give them the alternatives so that sacrifice doesn't have to be made, then conservation would start tomorrow.

[Silveredwings]

Originally Posted by The Toecutter

Americans are going to keep thinking with their wallets, and as long as gasoline is artificially low in price due to tax subsidies, as long as mass transit isn't well developed, and as long as alternative fuels aren't available, Americans are going to keep on guzzling gas well before they will conserve. Give them the alternatives so that sacrifice doesn't have to be made, then conservation would start tomorrow.

I think you've hit the nail right on the thumb! I believe this is all by design: consumers and businesses want the cheap gas to continue, so like *****s, politicians don't have the spine to suggest we talk about "the elephant in the room," let alone make a sensible change. Nick Nayler beat us to the hearts and minds of the American sheeple.