During our short lived gas crisis in the spring of 2008, many people had to put the breaks on driving. Taking public transportation when possible, carpooling to work, telecommuting, reduced work weeks, and so on started to become the norm in many areas. The motivation for these changes were mostly financial. Once gas prices started to come down a bit (I admit, I was very glad) people started to resume their old, familiar habits.
This makes me wonder, when the economy recovers, will cars miraculously grow as they did in the late ‘90s early 2000 with the super sized SUVs? Will McMansions continue to be the norm in new home building projects? The accumulation of things (paralytically cheap, disposable items) have started to slow down in the name of saving money and not running up credit card debt, but will this trend last? When our electronic equipment breaks and its more cost effective to chuck it and buy a new one than it is to fix it, what will we do?
“Americans constitute 5% of the world’s population but consume 24% of the world’s energy” – Mindfully.org
Is it possible to be financially prosperous and live a less wasteful, polluting lifestyle? What could influence change for the long haul?
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Vered - MomGrind
on Jul 5th, 2009
@ 5:18 pm:
I think it IS possible. I hope that even when the economy recovers, and it could be several years before it fully recovers, Americans will not go back to being so wasteful.
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Mike Goad
on Jul 5th, 2009
@ 6:18 pm:
I think a lot of people have learned a hard lesson from this, unfortunately for them.
In the near term, as the recession ends, people will continue to be less wasteful– for a while. However, as time goes by, if they can afford it, they will return to some semblance of the old ways of doing things.
What could influence change for the long haul? If the current legislation on energy and climate passes into law, we won’t have a choice. Energy prices, especially fuel, will be forced up, and the actions required in the bill are weak when it comes to reduction of CO2. Unfortunately, it will likely also greatly limit financial prosperity.
Mike Goad´s last blog ..Blogging Milestone
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Davina
on Jul 5th, 2009
@ 7:05 pm:
Hi Carla. I’m hopeful that the message is getting through and that people are learning. But I think a lot of the influence will come from the younger generation as many of the current adult population have developed habits that are hard to break.
Davina´s last blog ..On the Edge of Being
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Nathalie Lussier
on Jul 6th, 2009
@ 4:55 am:
I’ve thought about this as well Carla. I think that simply being aware of the impact and being rewarded for the changes we make is going to be monumental to change.
Nathalie Lussier´s last blog ..Why It’s Easier to Go Raw Than To Become Vegan
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Wilson Pon
on Jul 6th, 2009
@ 9:54 pm:
Carla, honestly, I didn’t understand why people need to buy a super-sized SUV, since there’s one driver who ride on the vehicle!
I personally thought that carpooling is a very good program, which is helping us save more money and environment in the same time.
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Sagan
on Jul 7th, 2009
@ 2:50 pm:
What a great question! I have hope, but we have to lead by example.
Sagan´s last blog ..How does music affect your health?
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Shawanda
on Jul 9th, 2009
@ 8:12 pm:
I’m a bit cynical. I think people are pretty forgetful. Unless there are outside forces that require or persuade them to maintain a cleaner, greener lifestyle, then they’ll just go back to their old ways when it’s convenient.
I started catching the bus to work once gas prices got out of control. I still take the bus. Before, it took me about 50 minutes to get to work. Now that I live closer to work, it only takes about 10 minutes. Even when it took 50 minutes to get to work, it still wasn’t so bad. I’d read a book or listen to podcasts.
Even though gas prices have come down, I still think it’s a financially wise move to use mass transit as much as possible. I don’t have to pay for parking and my car insurance is more affordable because I drive less than 7,500 miles a year. I don’t need my car serviced as often as most people. The likelihood of getting a parking ticket or traffic citation is greatly reduced. Additionally, my car will last longer because I hardly drive it.
I think it’s easy to live a life of financial prosperity while limiting waste and consumption. As a matter of fact, I don’t see how most people can have one without the other.
Shawanda´s last blog ..Before You Give
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william
on Jul 10th, 2009
@ 2:05 am:
WoW, Carla. It looks like Americans really need to learn to conserve in the electricity, water and energy, as the 24% of world’s energy consumption is really a big portion!
william´s last blog ..These Paid Social Media Programs Will Make You Some Pocket Money!
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Carla Rose
on Jul 10th, 2009
@ 10:41 am:
@Vered – I like your optimism!
@Mike – I agree that some people will have to be forced in to permanent change.
@Davina – I do notice that the younger generation are more enthusiastic about change than some of the people in my parents generation.
@Nathalie – The first step is awareness. We dont always realize the impact of our actions.
@Wilson – Every now and then, I still see super sized SUVs (with new dealer plates) and don’t understand it myself.
@Sagan – At the end of the day, what else can we do?
@Shawanda – I used to take public transit to work sometimes and it took over an hour via three different modes of public transit when it was only a 15 minute drive! I will be glad when I move to an are that is more accessible.
@William – I totally agree!
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Bakari
on Jul 12th, 2009
@ 1:36 pm:
I realized I had a problem when I observed how many paper, plastic and styrofoam products I used.
I’ve been concentrating on my impact as of late. I’ll see where it goes.
Bakari´s last blog ..Beat the Competition: Practice when you Sleep!
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