Are people opposed to changing their energy use habits?

Question

With gas prices rising, I am curious to know how many people are willing to make changes so we are not so dependent on oil. Are people willing to seek alternative enegry sources? Is going green something people are considering? Or Are people more interested in drilling for oil on protected land? What are you willing to do?

Answer 1

Most people don't like change in general.  

Short term (1 to 3 years) I want drilling on protected land, long term, get alternate fuel resources.

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Answer 2

It's more complicated than cars, sadly.  I will say that here in Utah, however, the gas prices have made riderships on some mass-transit lines skyrocket.  So it is effecting us here.  My family recently got new insulation installed into our home to make it more energy efficient, so we will use less gas for heating.

You need to realize that most modern merchendise is made out of oil in one way or another.  Now Oil is also used for all synthetic Rubber, Lubricant on large machines, Plastics, Vinyl, Pleather, synthetic fibers, detergents, the lining inside canned goods, wax, making vitamins and aspirin.  Also in plastics are CDs, DVDs, electronic casings.

So we need oil, unless we have replacements for the uses in all these things.  Now, I have heard every now and then of people building cars that run on water, but according to rumor, those are always shut down by oil companies and the elite.

I think it would be wise for us to use our own resources here in America, to boost our economy and to help with the price of oil.

Answer 3

I've been trying to "Go Green" in any small way I can, but needless to say it involves making some small & some very drastic changes in a life style. I'm not opposed to making those changes but I do see why some static exsists about it, people do not always accept change with open arms...

  I do believe there is a lack of practical & affordable inovations for green living at the moment, that is a large reason as well.

  If you're full of money many more options become fessable.

Not everyone can buy a new fuel efficient car (the pay off takes quite a while as well), very few people own cars that can, even if one wanted to, be converted into a  veggi oil running machine.

I'd love to have solar pannels on my home, but that is a costly measure as well...

I have this nagging feeling that DRASTIC changes need to begin happening now & i'm not seeing many means to do so.

Answer 4

There's a large population that thinks they shouldn't have to change anything about their habits. I know a number of people who complain about gas but think they should be able to continue driving high-performance or very large gas-guzzlers.

Then there's a few that are way at the other end of the spectrum - they want everyone to drastically reduce their energy use and drastically change their way of life for one reason or another. They're out there and they're vocal, but they certainly aren't a majority.

It seems obvious, but I think a small majority (but not nearly enough of a majority) are interested in reducing their use, but not so much that it affects their way of life. They're willing to cut down on driving and heating, but not fundamentally change the way they do things.

I personally want change to be institutional, not personal. I think that raising the average MPG of all cars in the US is more important than my buying an efficient car. I'd be happy to buy an efficient car, install solar panels on my house, or look for ways to change my habits to be more efficient, but only if our society pushed lots of others to do it as well.

Answer 5

I would love to switch, but too what?

Wind?  way too expensive and where there is lots of wind, the people fight the noise and sight of the towers

Solar?  Don't work,  plan and simple  You can line your whole roof and maybe run a coffee maker

So what is left to switch to?   And cars don't run off either of these, you mentioned oil, do you have a car that does not need gas?  I don't and I don't see any that most can afford.

Answer 6

People don't want to change their way of life because it's inconvenient. Drilling will only cause prices to go down about a nickel over the next decade at the best. It's not going to have huge longterm effects except on the environment. Even if the US drilled all over the country we'd only have 2-3% of the needed national supply. We can't depend on oil. We have to find alternative sources of energy.

Answer 7

I am not willing to sacrifice polar bears and other creatures for my or anybody else's oil lust. I think that it's disgusting. We have already made some changes. We set or air conditioner higher, our heat lower. Buy energy star appliances when we need to replace one. Are replacing light bulb with more energy eficient ones as the burn out. And we are adding insulation to the house we just bought.  

I try to shop at farmer's markets when possible. I buy things in bulk so it means fewer trips to the store. Next year we are planting a garden.

And I have become a stickler on recycling.

Our next baby will be wearing clothe diapers. This one wore the 7th generation disposables

However I don't think it has as much to do with the price of oil as it does with becoming a mother and thinking about the future generations.

Answer 8

I've notice a trend with people I've met in person who complain about the rise in prices and the state of the environment... they haven't done anything to try to improve the situation!!! It's so frustrating listening to hypocrites, but the important thing to do when encountering these people is to suggest to them to start small. I care about the state of our world, and the improvements our changes can make. Not everyone can go buy solar panels, but everyone can still make a difference.

My own first steps towards green living was to start recycling and repurposing, bring canvas bags with me on my shopping trips, and I replace my light bulbs. I'm also working on a vegetable garden in my backyard and carpool to work at least once a week.

I'm work in retail. I'm not allowed to refuse to give the plastic bags, nor lecture people of their impact on the earth by accepting them. I do, however, ask every customer if they would like a bag. About 20% decline, and I'm glad I asked instead of just handing them a bag.

Answer 9

I believe anyone would not mind making the change. The problem with change is the government tends to make the price high on new changes and people can not afford it.

Answer 10

I personally am trying to make whatever changes I can.  I would like a hybrid car, but cannot afford it yet, so I limit my driving and when I do drive, I try to make a list of things to do so I get as much done in one area as possible.  I have already switched all the lights in my home to CFL bulbs, I teach my son to turn lights off and not to leave the water running.  I recycle what I can, which is not very easy for me because the neighborhood I live in does not have recycling bins.  I have to take my recycling stuff to my sister's house.  I recycle paper at my job where they have bins and I have requested to pay many of my bills online too, so less paper is used.  And I donate to charities who oppose drilling in natural habitats for oil.  They all seem like little things, but every little bit helps.

Answer 11

Drill Here Drill Now. Libs in Congress have restricted access to areas of oil exploration off the shores of California, Florida and Alaska since 1980.. We've not been allowed to do so because of the environmental nut jobs.

Domestic drilling and the committment to doing so would show those who currently control the spigot will soon lose that control, if our national will demands it. AND for the unwashed in economics, it would impact prices substantively in several ways, the economic forces driving the current price bubble would lead to prices decreases because of intended supply would be greatly increased. The US could and SHOULD be an exporter not an importer. We have the supply, but not the political will to counter the econutcase lobby.

Oil Shale alone could provide us in the neighborhood of an estimate TRILLION Barrels, yet Congress remains staunchly opposed to allowing the technology and exploration to occur.

Same with areas of known quantities of pumpable light crude... The political will is not being bent enough to tell the bozos' on the potomac, "shape up, or it will be your last term in DC congressman/woman!! "

I've had it with stupidity of voters as well as long as the rhetoric sounds good we buy, and look at what we have running for the oval office?? A liberal Republican and a Marxist!! Man talk about catching vomit in my throat!

The Oil companies profit margin has not changed substantively in 80 years the margin generally sits at about 4-8% which makes these companies very good investments for large income stock funds which many people invest in for retirement.

It amazes me to read the post to see the functionally illiterate attempt to lay blame on the RNC or big oil when the real problem is them. Some of you people are outright dolts. Go back to school and take Econ 101, do some real research, government receives a lot more money in the oil/supply chain then the oil companies keep in profits for exploration and development..

You dolts need to quit listening to the greenies and liberal mantra throwers and do some personal due diligence.

Government continues to place restrictions on refining capacity and designates formulations.

In 2006 the liberal in Congress further established increases in sulfur in diesel fuel which increase the cost per gallon on production substantially all in the name of the Green friggin' LOBBY..

I have not trusted politicians since I first began to vote in 1976. I get more and more pissed off and incidious nature of voter stupidity.

We ALL need to write our congress people and tell them enough of the BS and take our country back from the libs. We need to build 25 refineries in the next 10 years we need this to be a national priority, we need to be drilling in leases off Florida and California, and we need to be drilling in the 1/10 of 1 percent of ANWR, We need to open up the Oil Shale and Oils Sands areas to the new technologies, we need to develop and use Coal to Liquid, and Gas to Liquid in our oil feedstock chains, and we need to build new Nuclear plants.

And yes, we need to consider longterm development of alternative and not use foodstuffs such as corn or soybeans to feed our energy demands.

I believe our Republic sits on the edge of a dark economic chasm. We have serious choices to make.

"A democracy is always temporary"

About the time our original 13 states adopted their new constitution, in 1787, Alexander Tyler, a Scottish history professor at the University of Edinburgh , had this to say about the fall of the Athenian Republic some 2,000 years prior:

"A democracy is always temporary in nature ; it simply cannot exist as a permanent form of government. A democracy will continue to exist up until the time that voters discover that they can vote themselves generous gifts from the public treasury. From that moment on, the majority always votes for the candidates who promise the most benefits from the public treasury, with the result that every democracy will finally collapse due to loose fiscal policy, which is always followed by a dictatorship."

"The average age of the worlds greatest civilizations from the beginning of history, has been about 200 years.

During those 200 years, these nations always progressed through the following sequence:

1. From bondage to spiritual faith;

2. From spiritual faith to great courage;

3. From courage to liberty;

4. From liberty to abundance;

5. From abundance to complacency;

6. From complacency to apathy;

7. From apathy to dependence;

8. From dependence back into bondage "