Monday, May 21, 2007

A confession

I believe that global warming is real. I believe this because Venus is further from the sun than Mercury, but is hotter due to what science calls "Run away global warming."

Yet...

When I went out car shopping recently I didn't buy a hybrid vehicle. In fact, once I found out that all they came in were automatic transmissions, I didn't even test-drive one.

In my defense I live in a rugged climate and standard transmissions are superior in snow.

But, that wasn't what anchored my purchasing choice.

It was all about the turning, and the speed, and the look, and the feel, and the power.

How can one aware of global warming and it's causes be so selfish as to indulge in a terrestrial rocket?

Perhaps, through our car, we project our identity and I am too insecure to drive a glorified golf-cart and feel good inside.

I ask for forgiveness from future generations who will no doubt pay a heavy price for choices like mine.

It is always easier to confront someone else's moral shortcomings. When confronting my own I desperately try to make excuses for myself, "But it's a near-zero emission vehicle!", "You don't drive that much!", "The gas mileage is actually pretty good!", "Those hybrids have batteries that will probably wind up in some land fill!"...

All self-deception.

I was selfish and I am sure future generations will find my selfishness appalling, coming as it does at their expense.

Lucky for me I know there is no pleasure like a guilty pleasure and I know a nice lake road in the country where I can indulge it.

Vrooooom.

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Foot Quotes

"Ignorance more frequently begets confidence than does knowledge"

Charles Darwin