Comment by timmg
4 hours ago
Not for nothing, but voters also have a say in what kind of car they buy. I checked the Q2 numbers -- when gas prices were high. In the US, 8% of people bought fully electric cars. Around 22% bought some sort of hybrid.
Each of these people made a choice about how they were going to affect the environment. The vast majority "voted" to use fossil fuels.
This is disingenuous if you don’t note that in the US we essentially subsidize/ encourage fossil fuel.
I could write an essay of pure rage about how many overtly liberal people in my life and online still decide against electric over minor or non-existent inconveniences or extra upfront cost (for people who definitely aren't broke).
These people will yell and complain about anything and everything destroying the Earth, but then when it's their turn?
"We just couldn't figure out how to make the extra 30 minute charge stop on our annual vacation work..."
You should stop tying your emotions to other people’s purchasing habits. For your own mental health. And its kind of narcissistic to be offended that people aren’t spending their money how you think they should.
To be fare, they said they could write an essay full of rage :-)
It's not unreasonable to be frustrated by people's hypocrisy.
My complaint is the cavernous gap I have uncovered of people who hold beliefs for social points and people who hold beliefs because they themselves are making the world a better place.
Turns out everyone's a selfless hero at the dinner table or in the comment section, but few are on the ground.
This is why it shouldn't be only consumer choices but intentional policy guiding production and product availability. The government should be mandating EVs.
As an individual, your impact is minor. The problem is that there are hundreds of millions of vehicles on the road.
In fact, policy is the only way to unblock multi-agent coordination problems. Of which environmental protection is definitely one.
Do you also get mad when people who are upset about the deficit don't donate extra money to Treasury?
This is a pretty typical coordination problem where people are reluctant to make personal sacrifices when they know others will not make similar sacrifices which are necessary to achieve the goal.