Consumers are too stupid to make good choices

[Hammerskjold]

That's not my point. I'm a nice guy and I love the planet too. But, is there a law that prevents me from being a jerk and burning needless gasoline? No, not that I know about. But, I am prevented from buying a gas guzzling Sherman Tank of an SUV that violates the Cafe standards. Not that I would, but it's more the principle of surrendered liberties I'm getting at. We have a nanny government that chooses to do the thinking for me by outlawing the choices they don't want me to make.

While I agree with some of your points, your first example was burning gasoline in a fire pit. Not even using it to idle in a tricked out humvee limo with the DVD and the cappucino maker on.

It's one thing if you were in the middle of a extreme emergency situation like say, a zombie apocalypse where for some reason, perhaps you absolutely needed to use that gas as a firestarter. But to burn it as a demonstration for 'freedom'? Maybe it's just me, but I don't see gas the same way as tea was during that famous Boston harbor get together.

It's not always about liberty and freedom and how those damned socialists are trying to take away my right to eat red meat and smoke a fine cigar etc etc.

I think freedom from excessive justification is a worthy cause. (eg: Why do you need a metal pen comrade? You could stab someone with it. Better to use this safe 1 inch wax crayon instead. Or use your finger on the dirt.)

I also think there is such a thing as going too far the other way. Freedom doesn't mean freedom from consequences. There's no absolute 'law' against defecating in one's own pool either. But I'm personally not going to do it just because I have the freedom to do so.

But getting back to the original topic. Personally, I think the carrot approach should also be explored. Set up an X prize like contest. Whoever can come up with a lighting device\technology that can match or surpass incandescent colour rendering, with exponential efficency improvement, low power consumption and high durability with low manufacturing cost and footprint and high yield etc, gets....

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A MILLION DOLLARS!!!!111

What. Not enough? Ok, then adjust after inflation.


A BILLION TRILLION DOLLARS!!!111