Pride and principle
December 8th, 2008 12:17 pm · 10 comments
I remember back during the campaign when Obama suggested that if you want to save money on gas, you might properly inflate your tires.
You’ll remember Republicans had themselves a field day, or thought they’d have a field day. Monogrammed tire gauges and all that. The suggestion was treated as ridiculous!
But you can, in fact, save money on gas if you properly inflate your tires.
What made me think of this was a link at Atrios’s site to Roy Edroso’s place, in which we learn that conservatives are taking the same learned approach to compact fluoresecent bulbs:
Ann Althouse is angry about the “fluorescent bulbs that Obama and his cadre of environmentalists are about to foist on us all,” and at his notion that we can save money by using them in government buildings: “Light bulbs first. They’re supremely important! They will save us all! Light bulbs!”
The Ole Perfesser agrees. “Sorry, but this kind of wonky no-sacrifice fixit nostrum reminds me of Al Gore, or Jimmy Carter’s sweaters, and I don’t think it’ll play well, or deliver as promised.”
But Edroso goes on to note that you can, in fact, save money and energy by using compact fluorescent bulbs.
I’ve personally replaced virtually every bulb in my home with compact fluorescents, and I’ve seen a definitive reduction in my electric bill. As in - $10 to $15 per month.
So, you know, I’m not interested in forcing people to use compact fluorescents. If you’re a Republican and you think it’s WORTHLESS AND WEAK, then keep on using the old kind. I’m happy for evil lib’rulz to actually save money - while it becomes a matter of conservative pride and principle to drive around on half-inflated tires and pay higher electric bills than need be.
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Tags: Energy · Conservatism
There are currently 10 comments on this blog postView Topic | Comment on this blogArtVandolay
12/8/08
5:04 PM | The new bulbs are great, they take a little longer to reach their optimum brightness I think. They don't fit everywhere, like if you a ceiling light with a cover that screws into three of those annoying little thumbscrews. I guess you can replace that cover to save the $1.50 over the next year.
But Gil, come on! Do you think republicans are driving around in underinflated tires and using extra energy just for the heck of it?
Everyone knows that properly inflated tires mean better gas mileage, longer tire wear and better handling.
But hey don't forget, when the drilling issues came up Obama said if everyone inflated their tires correctly, it would solve the energy crisis as opposed to domestic drilling. And what will happen now with gas at $1.69? Gas will go up to what ever when the producers want to stick to Obama. And Secretary Hillary will do what about it?
I see lots of cars (many with with Obama stickers) and many hybrids cruising along 30 or 83 at about 70-75.
But if you drive that ugly Prius, your doing your part! |
clanker
12/8/08
9:36 PM | The new bulbs are great, they take a little longer to reach their optimum brightness I think. They don't fit everywhere, like if you a ceiling light with a cover that screws into three of those annoying little thumbscrews. I guess you can replace that cover to save the $1.50 over the next year.
But Gil, come on! Do you think republicans are driving around in underinflated tires and using extra energy just for the heck of it?
Everyone knows that properly inflated tires mean better gas mileage, longer tire wear and better handling.
But hey don't forget, when the drilling issues came up Obama said if everyone inflated their tires correctly, it would solve the energy crisis as opposed to domestic drilling. And what will happen now with gas at $1.69? Gas will go up to what ever when the producers want to stick to Obama. And Secretary Hillary will do what about it?
I see lots of cars (many with with Obama stickers) and many hybrids cruising along 30 or 83 at about 70-75.
But if you drive that ugly Prius, your doing your part!
Can't say my Prius is the best looking car on the road, but it's roomier than it looks and 50+ mpg isn't too hard to take. I can drive to Pittsburgh and back on eleven gallons. When on the highway, I'm always being passed by the biggest gas guzzilers, so it's probably a matter of attitude. Some people must be taking Stephen Colbert's advice and trying to use up all the fossil fuels so we can get past that problem.
The Prius is just an interim solution. In a couple of years we may be seeing air powered or even water powered cars at local dealerships. Air powered cars are already being produced. |
lanzate
12/8/08
10:09 PM | I'm simply not buying the whole "last longer" tid bid about compact florescent bulbs. I changed them all in my house a year ago and as of today 5 of them have burned out already. I'm not convinced they are practical for home use yet. Fluorescents work best when you turn them on once a day and off once a day like in most commercial settings. We only light the room that we are sitting in so our lights are on and off a lot during a typical evening and I think that wears them out. The ones in the basement I changed back to incandescent as well since with balls flying down there I'm afraid they will get broken and i will have to call in the haz mat before my kids can play down there again. |
AngelFace
12/8/08
10:32 PM | I'm simply not buying the whole "last longer" tid bid about compact florescent bulbs. I changed them all in my house a year ago and as of today 5 of them have burned out already. I'm not convinced they are practical for home use yet. Fluorescents work best when you turn them on once a day and off once a day like in most commercial settings. We only light the room that we are sitting in so our lights are on and off a lot during a typical evening and I think that wears them out. The ones in the basement I changed back to incandescent as well since with balls flying down there I'm afraid they will get broken and i will have to call in the haz mat before my kids can play down there again.
You are singing my song!
I also switched back in my office. I find the compact fluorescents hard on the eyes! And the computer is hard enough on the eyes all by itself. Guess I'd better buy a couple of cases of incandescents, huh? Before I have to deal with the BLACK MARKET and the eco-Nazis have me on their Most Wanted list! 
|
mam0412
12/9/08
8:32 AM | But hey don't forget, when the drilling issues came up Obama said if everyone inflated their tires correctly, it would solve the energy crisis as opposed to domestic drilling.
As always, that's a bit overrstated and exaggerated just to prove your point. He never said it would solve the energy crisis. Let's keep this in perspective, huh? |
ArtVandolay
12/9/08
9:32 AM | As always, that's a bit overrstated and exaggerated just to prove your point. He never said it would solve the energy crisis. Let's keep this in perspective, huh?
As always there is alway someone who needs to rewrite stuff to make themselves fell comfy. Here is what Obama said, it's ok everyone says stupid things even L.Ron.
From the Fact Check Desk: Are Obama's Claims About Inflating Car Tires Accurate?
July 31, 2008 5:01 PM
Yesterday in Missouri, the presumptive Democratic nominee had a suggestion for voters: Pump up your tires. To improve your mileage. To thus save energy.
"There are things that you can do individually though to save energy," Sen. Barack Obama, D-Illinois, said. "Making sure your tires are properly inflated, simple thing, but we could save all the oil that they're talking about getting off drilling, if everybody was just inflating their tires and getting regular tune-ups. You could actually save just as much."
http://blogs.abcnews.com/politicalpunch/20...the-fact-1.html |
cyberscribbler
12/9/08
10:00 AM | As always there is alway someone who needs to rewrite stuff to make themselves fell comfy. Pump up your tires. To improve your mileage. To thus save energy."There are things that you can do individually though to save energy," Sen. Barack Obama, D-Illinois, said. "Making sure your tires are properly inflated, simple thing, but we could save all the oil that they're talking about getting off drilling, if everybody was just inflating their tires and getting regular tune-ups. You could actually save just as much." http://blogs.abcnews.com/politicalpunch/20...the-fact-1.html |
mam0412
12/9/08
11:11 AM | As always there is alway someone who needs to rewrite stuff to make themselves fell comfy. Here is what Obama said, it's ok everyone says stupid things even L.Ron. From the Fact Check Desk: Are Obama's Claims About Inflating Car Tires Accurate?July 31, 2008 5:01 PMYesterday in Missouri, the presumptive Democratic nominee had a suggestion for voters: Pump up your tires. To improve your mileage. To thus save energy."There are things that you can do individually though to save energy," Sen. Barack Obama, D-Illinois, said. "Making sure your tires are properly inflated, simple thing, but we could save all the oil that they're talking about getting off drilling, if everybody was just inflating their tires and getting regular tune-ups. You could actually save just as much." http://blogs.abcnews.com/politicalpunch/20...the-fact-1.html
Nowhere does it say that inflating tires will solve the energy crisis. Nor does drilling. What it says is that inflating tires NOW could save us the same amount of oil that drilling offshore would provide. But it would happen now as opposed to the 10+years it would take to see any benefit from drilling. Cyberscribbler is right, you are only interested in bashing Obama because that seems to be more of a priority to you than helping to solve the energy crisis. Are your tires inflated to the optimum level? |
Artie See
12/9/08
6:47 PM | I'm simply not buying the whole "last longer" tid bid about compact florescent bulbs. I changed them all in my house a year ago and as of today 5 of them have burned out already. I'm not convinced they are practical for home use yet. Fluorescents work best when you turn them on once a day and off once a day like in most commercial settings. We only light the room that we are sitting in so our lights are on and off a lot during a typical evening and I think that wears them out. The ones in the basement I changed back to incandescent as well since with balls flying down there I'm afraid they will get broken and i will have to call in the haz mat before my kids can play down there again.
My experience with compact fluorescent bulbs is that they do not last as long when they get turned on and off a lot. Nor do they do well in enclosed light fixtures, apparently they need ventilation or they will overheat and cause the high-voltage coil or some other sensitive component to fail.
I saw LED bulbs at Wal-Mart recently. They're still relatively expensive, and they don't dissipate heat very well. But they promise to last twice as long as compact fluorescent lamps. I suspect LEDs will eventually become the light bulb of choice, once the technology matures; it wasn't that long ago since white LEDs became available. |
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