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Date:         Mon, 24 Apr 2006 13:30:07 -0800
Reply-To:     Mark Tuovinen <mst@AK.NET>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         Mark Tuovinen <mst@AK.NET>
Subject:      Re: Local gas prices (sorry long)(NVC)
Comments: To: monte merrick <montemerrick@SPEAKEASY.NET>
In-Reply-To:  <8a3d714a5f542335e84650d19f9a99e0@speakeasy.net>
Content-type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii

Say Monte,

The next time you have to take a Lear jet to Dutch Harbor I would be glad to go along thus reducing the per person waste of resources. I have yet to go there and as the price of a ticket from Anchorage to Dutch Harbor is more then it costs from Anchorage to Costa Rica, or many other warm places with sandy beaches, I am not likely to get there anytime soon. Think of it as Jetset car pooling. :-)

Mark in AK - looking for more ways to save our resources

----- Original Message ----- From: monte merrick <montemerrick@SPEAKEASY.NET> Date: Monday, April 24, 2006 9:21 am Subject: Re: Local gas prices (sorry long) To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM

> given the fat that all of us on the list are probably getting > somewherearound 20 mpg in our vanagons, we can assume that all of > us share > whatever guilt therre is to share in the tragedy humans have > visited on > the world in the form of fossil fuel burning, as well as other > forms of > energy, which, plainly spoke, are not our birthright. > > the only energy we have an ethical right to, thinking here solely of > transportation is the energy supplied by our own two feet - every > otherform requires a non-consensual donation from some other life > which has > an agenda not our own but gives its life toward ours. the road killed > animals - the oil-spill killed ecosystems, the car-crash killed > children, the war killed inhabitants of oil-rich nations and the > youngwomen and men of the oil needy nations sent to secure the > supplies - > the list is nearly endless and pretending it doesn't exist doesn't > make it go away and bringing up all of the wonderful things we do > withour cars - be it band practice, or my own work which i love > (oiledbird rescue and rehabilitation) or any of the other myriad > good ideas > people with auto lifestyles claim as the ultimate good - lets face it > we made musicals and sporting events pre-auto > > the reason there are no easy answers is because none of us, myself > included, are capable of choosing what is right over what we think is > necessary. it is my experience that in the long run, necessary and > right are never in conflict. > > that said - flying in a lear jet out to dutch harbor responding to a > shipwreck in the alaska maritime wildlife refuge was a freaking blast > and no the bitter irony is not lost on me. > > as we juggle back and forth between the costs of gasoline and our > pocketbooks, etc. it is good to remember that as the ice shrinks and > oceans warm, conservative climate change scientists (by > conservative i > mean cautious, not the insane oil company shills arguing that climate > change is not real) estimate 10,000 species extinctions in the next > hundred years - how many birds will be saved then? how many school > plays successfully mounted?? > > my .02 as they say > > monte > > > > > > > On Apr 24, 2006, at 6:13 AM, Milo's Kitchen wrote: > > Even though it's no longer Friday, I have to chime in: > > "live in a place where you don't have to drive. Yup, that means you > have to > live NEAR OTHER PEOPLE! Horrors! Most Americans don't want to." > > We tried that. Lived in the city of Pittsburgh for 4 years before we > cut > our substantial losses and fled back to our small town. Our house was > broken into and robbed. BTW, they stayed the day eating our food and > going > through everything in the house, watching TV and abusing our dog, > untilI > came home from work then they fled out another door. The justice > systemkept the two teens about 3 hours and then, after we pressed > charges,they > harassed us RELENTLESSLY for months until we caved (parole officers > were a > joke). Lost tens of thousands of dollars on the sale of the house, > which > took two years. Recently the city closed that neighborhood's police > station > to save money. Yeah, I'm going to move back to the city, sure. > > "don't drive a vehicle that gets less than 50 mpg. Get a Prius." > > I can't afford $20 for a Prius. Our last brand new car was a 1981 > Rabbit > GTI. Currently our newest vehicle is the 1991 Carat (suby pwrd). I > haven't > seen a Prius up close, but can I get my 17 yr old son, his tuba or > sousaphone (wind ensemble/marching band/lessons), and my 6 yr old > daughter > and her legally required car seat into one at the same time? Don't > think so. > Last Christmas, in Betsy the 91 Carat, I transported 5 teens, 2 > tubas, 3 > trombones, folding chairs, music stands, and my 6 yr old with her car > seat > to perform in free concert for the folks at the local retirement > center.That was much more efficient than taking 5 different small > cars and was > socially beneficial. > > "Reducing energy consumption is, IMO, an ethical choice. It is not > always > the most economical option, especially if you have already got sunk > costs in > housing out in a place where you have to drive everywhere" > > When we purchased our current home in 1999, its location took priority > over > square footage and condition (lacking in both). We did not want to > have to > drive constantly. I can easily walk my daughter to school, to the > library, > to the pool/park, and the post office, et. I can walk to the grocery > store > but not purchase more than I can carry home (not practical for a > familyof > 4). BUT, housing in an area with this level of convenience costs > money. We > bought the cheapest house on the block and were lucky that one was > evenavailable for sale when we needed to move. I'm the director > of the > local > food pantry, and believe me, a family of 4 with both parents making > minimum > wage has few options for living in town. They get pushed father out > where > it is cheaper, but less convenient, or into the city with its failed, > crime > ridden public school system. > > Not directly related, but another relevant point. Our health > insuranceprovider requires us to use a specific pharmacy. The > closest one is 9 > miles > away. The drive is still cheaper than the full price of the > medicationpurchased at the pharmacy within walking distance. No > choice here. (you > can't wait for a mail order of Amoxicillin when your child has a sinus > infection) > > "and apparently there aren't any school buses" > > My son is a sound and light technician for the high schools' > auditoriums. > When programming a light board for an event or play, the techs are > sometimes > there until 8 p.m. or later. There are no busses to bring them home. > Nor > are there busses when they come home after an away football game > at 11 > p.m. > To participate, you drive. I don't think canceling the Mancini award > winning all school musical, or disbanding the marching band to > save gas > is a > wise choice. > > I'm not disrespecting anyone else's opinion, and I have a great > deal of > admiration for Joy in particular. There are just no easy answers. > We > are a > big, diverse country. > > _ > |_ > |_ > | > > Stepping off my soapbox....and walking to school. > > Sandy > > Disclaimer....The opinions expressed are mine alone, Dave has no > knowledge > of this email until after work. > > -- > No virus found in this outgoing message. > Checked by AVG Free Edition. > Version: 7.1.385 / Virus Database: 268.4.5/322 - Release Date: > 4/22/2006


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