Because if we say anything, we must be Hummer-driving, seal-clubbing Republicans.

So we shut up so others won't judge us according to these new arbitrary rules society has decided to enforce?

I didn't necessarily say that.

On the other hand, I have to shut up all the time if I want to enjoy my job. It's bad enough that I replaced the popular supervisor. To be outed as mostly conservative would make things very very difficult.

Seriously??

The hazards of employment in the Ivy League.

I did mention that, right?

I had someone make a comment to me once about not buying clothes made in China, and only buying local, organic produce and no mass-produced stuff. I turned around and said, "are you offering to pay for it? Because honey, I don't earn enough money to be picky about where I get things from. I will do my part where I can, but until there's a cheap alternative that is totally environmentally and morally awesome, then I'm fucked."

I was so mad. Said person was very well off and I think completely unaware of the financial situations of almost everyone else around them.

I can imagine, I totally agree. It's easy to tell everyone to buy local and organic when you can afford to. So many people assume we're not "doing our part" because we're ignorant or stubborn or brainwashed.

Well, evidently the preachy people think it will have the desired effect, or more likely, somebody has persuaded them of such a thing. I am also sick and tired of such nagging, and the effect is that I just tune it out as so much useless noise ... which I am certain is not the desired reaction.

Take transportation, for just one example. The preachy people love to crow about how wonderful it is to take public transportation. Dollars to donuts they don't do so themselves, or they'd be aware of the filthy stinky crazy scary homeless people often to be found on those conveyances. Or they cannot conceive that not everyone is able to take a single bus/train directly from home to office and back, at whatever times might be necessary. And most of all, they congratulate themselves whenever they get to read the news about some new hybrid automobile, which not everyone can afford. (If I could afford one, I'd already have one.)

The preachy people are, in my opinion as a long-time liberal (just to remind you that we don't constitute a bloc of thinkalikes), disconnected from the reality of the situation, which is that their "solutions" may sound good, but are rarely practicable in the real world.

Very well put.

So many of these 'reminders' are commercials, which are very "why do WE put up with" in the first place... and they're just echoing popular rhetoric, as always...

Yeah, the commercials are way bad about that.

"You should buy our product because we're Greener Than Thou"

or "...cooler than thou", or "badasser than thou"... etc. Different color leather, all the same bull...

I'm beyond sick of it.

Much more so the organic/buy local craze than anything else. I was reading about the "slow food" movement the other day and the whole thing reeks of pretension. I'm tired of being guilt tripped just for enjoying some McDonald's fries now and again. I'm tired of people suggesting that those of us who eat processed/fast food are poor and/or stupid. As if it's the only thing we eat ever anyway.

What really scares me is that so many people are buying into the hype. I read the articles on Yahoo Food and anytime someone recommends anything other than home cooked organic meals there's a barrage of comments on "OMG the chemicals! You're killing yourself! How can they recommend this!!" Ugh.

The fact that so many green things are so expensive says to me that a lot of it is just corporations trying to profit on a trend. I'm not impressed or convinced. I conserve energy the best I can and I try to eat healthy foods but indulgence now and again makes life more enjoyable and I refuse to stop doing it just because someone who doesn't even know me says I should.

Yeah, the chemical thing is annoying, 'cause you know all our parents died at 35 from that sort of thing 0_o I agree about the corporations trying to profit on a trend. It's particularly annoying.

Have you noticed the guilt trip for what we are feeding our pets as well? I can understand a little paranoia after those recall scares, but some people are going a bit overboard with it now.

My google page has the About.com Cat feed on it and they constantly push moving to a raw diet. The Wiki-how feed was also advising on how to avoid genetically modified food today. :P

...because it's so much easier to make sure they get the exact amount of nutrients they need at home, instead of a research facility where they make SURE of it with scientific equipment that specially formulates everything to ensure they're not being malnourished. After all, we know so much better than people who dedicate their careers to cat nutrition.

And because all businesses are evil.

/irrational rant mode on:

The holier than thou hybrid car owners. Bah! How much polution are they generating to get one of those cars built? What about the batteries that are integral to the whole design?

The next vehicle I buy will be a diesel Crewcab truck. They work. They last. They provide exceptional power. They can carry 6 people and a wheelchair and the hockey gear and other stuff too.

I refuse to support the E85 vehicles. Cheaper fuel, yes, but also less MPG, so is it all a matter of perception? Meanwhile corn that would have been used to feed people and livestock is refined into fuel. And making that into fuel is also consuming power.

CFL bulbs? forget it. Its appearance has caused a lot of people to switch. Meanwhile incandesent bulbs have plummeted in price dramatically. Gimme an incandescent full-spectrum light.
Perhaps I will reconsider if a LED solution is available.
Mercury is toxic. No thanks.

Organic foods? If it tastes good and is reasonably priced, sure. Is it more healthy? I eat and cook with butter. Is it better than margarine? Depends who you ask. I use Smart Balance when I'm just looking to spread something on my toast or waffles. Egss, good or bad? Fish? Too much mercury or worth it for the omega fatty acids? One day Oats are healthy, then next they cause global warming. I've consumed more Diet Dew than 10 normal folk. Cheaper and just as effective as ADD meds. My kids have food sensitivites, so we do what we can to keep them away from foods with artificial dyes and additives. It has a NOTICEABLE and repeatable outcome when we take the additives out of their diet. (Look up Feingold Diet). Living over a 100 is a great idea in theory... BUT. There is age discrimination out there. Our current social security / medicaid programs are doomed to disintegrate within the next decade without some sort of correction.

If I can live to be 75 I will be happy to croak off after that. The odds for alzheimers after that rise dramatically. That would give my 10 year old 30 more years to grow up under my wing, graduate, get married, and have some grandkids I can spoil. But the first confirmed diagnosis of alzheimers and I will start looking into senior skydiving clubs, or fill my pants with halibut and start wrestling sharks on youtube. :-)

That will help feed the depleting shark population, prevent wasted land use with a useless casket, and help recycle my highly caffinated body back into the environment. :-)

But first, I'll eat a steak and drink another toxic dew.

Maybe we all just need a nap...

But the first confirmed diagnosis of alzheimers and I will start looking into senior skydiving clubs, or fill my pants with halibut and start wrestling sharks on youtube. :-)

I can totally understand that.

But yeah, so much of the "you have to do this and that" is just different ways of spreading the problem around. More toxic batteries and lights instead of the old cars and lights. Huge amounts of cash, energy and pollution to recycle a few items. Less food yields with organics so less food available for the truly needy, no more surplus. And if there's a surplus you can't ship it anywhere with poor starving people because that pollutes. And what's the point of not starving to death if you can't have ever so slightly cleaner air?

/irrational rant mode

But mainly, I'm tired of having richer people guilt trip me for not doing enough/spending enough.

I just heard on the radio today that we "greater LA area" have the second smallest carbon footprint for a metropolitan area??? What does that really mean? I haven't the foggiest notion, but when I read your blog I thought I would share...

I have also heard that us causing global warming is a hum...not that we don't have 'any' effect, but the world has been going through climate changes on it's own for a long long time...

Because of low use, using mass transit does not reduce the carbon footprint, all of that running without the usage is worse than not having it at all (and I agree with the person about 'who' one comes across in public transit, personally I have NEVER gotten over an experience on a DASH downtown many years ago, I still shudder at the thought)

and organic and locally grown (while I have personal reasons for wanting it...) is not necessarily reducing the carbon footprint, but actually uses more resources than massed produced food sources...but if you want something yummy and worth a few pennies more, get the Trader Joe's Organic Ketchup, you will love the reduced carbs, as the sugar content is low enough for diabetics to enjoy it too...but I just think it is the best ketchup I have ever tasted...

and you have given me another reason that I am so glad I don't watch TV, commercials are bad enough, but having the guilt trips is not worth the entertainment for me...

and my last comment on going green is that I had an opportunity to drive in the general vicinity of Santa Monica Blvd and the 405, just to the east of that intersection and on the north side of the street, I saw a building with the word TESLA on the side, woohoo, if I had the money THAT is the green car for me, and I am hoping postrophe and I can go peek at the dealership soon...although I am not sure about the actual color options, hehehe...http://www.teslamotors.com/blog3/?p=78

I just heard on the radio today that we "greater LA area" have the second smallest carbon footprint for a metropolitan area??? What does that really mean?

I still think not affecting the environment more than you have to is a good thing, even if I don't think it's as important as the media would make us believe, so I think that's good news.

Because of low use, using mass transit does not reduce the carbon footprint, all of that running without the usage is worse than not having it at all

I never heard that, but that's a very good point!

We keep forgetting about the ketchup and I really want to try it!

The Tesla place looks AWESOME! I think people should be interested in electric cars just 'cause the less expensive something is in the long run, the more money you have for better things (like enjoying time with friends or charity). Not that the Tesla is saving so much money, yet! ^_~