Something about engines, horsepower, and emissions.

[SonyPortableizer]

my words seemed right. I mean stalling.

[Kurt_]

No, your wording just seems ignorant.

If you turn off all the electricity in America for a year, you can have enough energy to power a country the size of america for a year. This is true. However it could also be said that you can power five countries that aren't american for a year for the energy America uses up in one year. My problem is waste of resources. We live on a FINITE planet, with FINITE resources. Stop being so ignorant and blind to the problem: AMERICA TAKES RESOURCES FROM OTHER COUNTRIES AND GIVES NOTHING BUT GARBAGE BACK. (Well, that' not exactly true, but I'm positive you can see what I'm driving towards). What happens to that countries resources? They can't use them for THEIR country, because WE took them. If the world inhabits a North American mindset, then, like in that video you clearly haven't watched, we'd need five times more resources than we have available.

Also, for those of you against recycling. I won't deny it does cause many pollutants during the recycling process. But there's a high chance if you don't recycle, you're contribution to THIS:



http://www.oskarlewis.com/weblog/about/plastic-soup/
If you can look at that and still tell me wasting is fine because you can afford it, then humanity clearly is doomed.

You know that plastic ring you threw away?



This turtle couldn't get it off.

Straight from popular science, who also acknowledges there's a big problem:

He will also swing by the northern reaches of the Great Pacific Garbage Patch, the Canada-size, 100-million-ton accumulation of mostly plastic refuse trapped in a vortex of ocean currents in the middle of the Pacific. This toxic stew, made up of everything from decomposing Lego blocks to supermarket bags, kills more than a million seabirds and 100,000 mammals a year.

[Black Six]

Some advice Kurt, pick a topic and stick to it. First you're talking about us wasting resources, and then killing the environment, then telling us we need to help third world countries, etc. You keep jumping around. I'm not saying you're wrong on any of them, it just makes your arguments lack coherence and focus.

[Kurt_]

But don't you see?

They're all the same thing. They are all interconnected.

[gamecube6]

That's like starting a thread about making a portable PS2 and then post NES pictures. Not really related.

No one's really against recycling. Some people are just too lazy to practice it. (I recycle!)

[Kurt_]

Have you seen some of my other threads?

[bicostp]

AMERICA TAKES RESOURCES FROM OTHER COUNTRIES AND GIVES NOTHING BUT GARBAGE BACK.

Now that's not true.

We gave the world all of our jobs!

[gamecube6]

AMERICA TAKES RESOURCES FROM OTHER COUNTRIES AND GIVES NOTHING BUT GARBAGE BACK.

Now that's not true.

We gave the world all of our jobs!

Wow, I'm tempted to change my sig now

[RockNRoll!]

We shouldn't be giving stuff to 3rd world countries for 2 reasons. First, we need to take care of ourselves. There is lots of poverty in this country we should address before taking care of parts of the world that are none of our buisness. Second, if we give stuff to 3rd world countries, they will just take it and live with it until the next batch of aid without doing any work themselves. That means capitalism (the source of America's greatness) can never exist in 3rd world countries with us helping them because if somebody over there tries to set up a business, he'll fail because he can't compete with free crap from us. We're basically forcing them to be dependent on our charity.

[SonyPortableizer]

That picture with the trash is well done to advertise how "Bad" us americans are.
If their countries were as well off as our with a good government, money, politics, etc. Then they'd be wasting as much as us.

[Negative_Creep]

In the UK, there is a law against recycling.

[Kurt_]

You're all blind to the fact that helping another country isn't helping out another America. There are certain western values we cherish that drive our needs and wants that are non-existent on the other side of the globe. If you've ever been to the domican republic (the real one), you'll find that although poor, these people are happy with what they have, and are not likely to turn into america any time soon if given things like a good health care system and educational system.

In short: Americans waste more than their fair share. That doesn't mean, given the oportunity, the rest of the world will do the same because we do it and everyone is like us. The truth is, they're not like us.

RockNRoll: And what have you done to help your own country then? You're perfectly happy just sitting there and letting the freeze/starve. The truth is you don't care, because you don't have to deal with it. Out of sight, out of mind.

As far as recycling laws in the UK, all I can see is that battery recycling is mandatory. I also see several laws about the mandatory recycling of electronics, and other great eco-conscious rules. NOTHING against recycling.

http://www.recyclite.co.uk/lamp-recycling-law.html

You seem to mistaken and HORRIBLY BIASED.

[XPCportables]

Actually, they are exactly like us. They are happy with what they have because they have never known anything better than what they have. If your logic is true, that their mindset is different then ours, and given the opportunity to make good money and buy nice things, and advance their technology that they wouldn't ever want to. Then how did the rest of the world get to this state? At one point all of our cultures were as primitive as theirs, but we still turned out the way we did. By your logic we should all be happy with living in caves and sleeping on rocks because our ancestors did, and they were perfectly happy with it. It is human nature to acclimate to whatever your circumstances allow. If a solid capitalistic market was made and those countries became successful, their people would adapt to their new means.

What those countries need is not help from the US government, but rather, they need investors to create a school system, to invest in business plans, and to help them build a free market of their own. They don't need food and clothes thrown at them, they need the infrastructure, and that infrastructure needs to be built by business people who understand how to run a profitable system. Not a government who has no concerns about being competitive or efficient with their money. Governments suck at doing things like this, because they don't have to be competitive like businesses. It's not like you can just start using a different government if you don't like the one you have.

Oh and if any government should be responsible for fixing Africa it is Britain, considering that they screwed it up in the first place.

[Kurt_]

National happiness has been on a decline in America since the 50's.

Other than that, your points are well taken. But to invest in a country requires lots of money. Like a government has. I'd personally invest the money to build an infrastructure and become lord of Africa or whatever, but I only have $35 in my wallet.

[SonyPortableizer]

My parents have been happy, and are getting happier. So most of america then.