Is Doing Something Environmentally Conscious Liberal?

[goldberry]

I read an article about a conservative senator who bought one of those electric cars that you charge up. He was criticized for buying a "liberal-mobile". I thought that was so weird. I know there are different viewpoints about what government regulations should be or how far those regulations or actions should go from a government viewpoint. I just didn't think an individual doing something they felt was good for the environment would qualify them as "liberal" or would offend someone who was conservative.

 

If you are a conservative and don't believe the government should be involved or regulate environmental issues, does that mean you would be against that on an individual level? This struck me as so odd. And disappointing at how extreme the definitions have come to be.

[kalanamak]

I read an article about a conservative senator who bought one of those electric cars that you charge up. He was criticized for buying a "liberal-mobile".

 

Knee-jerk, jingoistic idiots are all over the map. It makes them feel big to bark out sound bytes. To them, I say "HAH!" :)

[GingerPoppy]

:iagree: wholeheartedly with both of you. Ridiculous black and white prescribed thinking by ridiculous blank and white lemming-mentality people.

[Jennifer3141]

Knee-jerk, jingoistic idiots are all over the map. It makes them feel big to bark out sound bytes. To them, I say "HAH!" :)

 

:iagree:

 

And I really don't get why "conservatives" put up with it. Like Jesus commanded people to toss their garbage outside or soemthing...

This entire idea that caring for the planet is "liberal" is so weird to me. There's no place in the bibe where it says to treat the earth like a toilet! And Thomas Jefferson was a HUGE gardener. So if he could lvoe the earth and God actually wants us to enjoy it, I don't get why it's a "liberal" thing to actually CARE what heppens to the planet. :lol:

[J-rap]

I agree, it is discouraging, isn't it? I guess I'm conservative in many ways, but very definitely pro-environment. Apparently I'm quite unusual... It really baffles me.

[Parker Martin]

A lot of conservatives are not supportive of electric cars because some studies show that they are not as green as regular cars and actually result in more emissions.

 

http://www.theaustralian.com.au/news/health-science/electric-cars-may-not-be-so-green-after-all-says-british-study/story-e6frg8y6-1226073103576

 

Thus the senator could be criticized for his choice of looking green rather than being green, a pretty common criticism among conservatives.

[angela in ohio]

Well, there is some consideration of whether the electric cars are really more environmentally friendly ("coal-pwered cars", etc,) and the idea of doing something that may only look eco-friendly. So that may have been the angle. You get some conservatives making fun of that. Some people believe these things (electric cars, corn fuels, etc.) are fine as long as they are setting trends and shaking up our dependencies, but some peole look at the immediate results. [i'm not arguing this - I'm pro-electric vehicles in theory.]

 

Or he could have just been trying to get a minute in the media eye, as a pp said.

 

Overall, though, no. Some of the people I know who care very much about the environement are conservatives and often Christan. They don't call it environmentalism, but stewardship and conservation. The Boy Scouts and hunters are two groups that come to mind specifically.

[goldberry]

Well, there is some consideration of whether the electric cars are really more environmentally friendly ("coal-pwered cars", etc,) and the idea of doing something that may only look eco-friendly. So that may have been the angle. You get some conservatives making fun of that. Some people believe these things (electric cars, corn fuels, etc.) are fine as long as they are setting trends and shaking up our dependencies, but some peole look at the immediate results. [i'm not arguing this - I'm pro-electric vehicles in theory.]

 

Or he could have just been trying to get a minute in the media eye, as a pp said.

 

Overall, though, no. Some of the people I know who care very much about the environement are conservatives and often Christan. They don't call it environmentalism, but stewardship and conservation. The Boy Scouts and hunters are two groups that come to mind specifically.

 

That makes sense, it seems reasonable to argue whether the car was really environmentally sound or not. But I didn't think that would be either conservative or liberal, but just logical.

 

It just seems even that if you are politically against certain regulations or whatever on the part of government, wouldn't your whole point be that individuals can/should do those things on their own, without government interference?

Edited October 1, 2011 by coloradoperkins

[angela in ohio]

That makes sense, it seems reasonable to argue whether the car was really environmentally sound or not. But I didn't think that would be either conservative or liberal, but just logical.

 

I was trying to imply... ummm... there is a feeling among some conservatives perhaps that a rush to do something outwardly eco-friendly looking without regard to the validity is a liberal thing to do.... yes, I would say they are questioning their logic. ;)

[Teachin'Mine]

: )

[Wayfaring Stranger]

My Uncle is a very coservitive farmer in Montana. He is on his second Prius. He drives them because his farm is 30 miles from town and he does not want his money going to "support terrorist."

[Crimson Wife]

My Uncle is a very coservitive farmer in Montana. He is on his second Prius. He drives them because his farm is 30 miles from town and he does not want his money going to "support terrorist."

 

This is exactly the reason why my DH is saving up to install solar panels on our roof and then get an electric vehicle. He thinks the jury is still out on climate change, but from a national security standpoint he is extremely concerned about our country's reliance on foreign oil.

[Stacy in NJ]

- a Toyota Highlander - with a NRA bumper sticker. I'm fine with burning oil - as long as it's oil produced in countries that don't deny basic human rights to women and gays.

 

As other posters have mentioned, the electricity used to power electric cars is produced by burning coal. Not necessarily the most environmentally friendly way to "save" the planet.:D

 

This is exactly the reason why my DH is saving up to install solar panels on our roof and then get an electric vehicle. He thinks the jury is still out on climate change, but from a national security standpoint he is extremely concerned about our country's reliance on foreign oil.

[Guest IdahoMtnMom]

I am am a moderate republican... meaning I am not a Tea Party ultra conservative type :-) I am VERY pro environment and dedicate a lot of time to a local charity for environmental issues... in a previous life, I was in politics (as a republican) and my speciality was environmental mitigation.

 

I also live in a mega resort and second home community for many liberal hollywood'ers, uber wealthy folks, etc... and I can tell you the most raging liberals are driving in big old gas guzzling vehicles and are flying in here in gas guzzling, polluting G3's (anything larger can't land here)...

 

So I think the environment is an issue that is not necessarily determined on party lines...

[Denise in Florida]

Sadly, yes. In my area of the country being environmentally conscious is not only liberal it is probably socialist and might be anti-God.:glare: (probably feminist and wiccan too)

 

I am not native to Florida. I live in the North Eastern corner of the state and we are as deep south as we can get.

 

I feel like I am trapped in the twilight zone sometimes.

[cdrumm4448]

It just seems even that if you are politically against certain regulations or whatever on the part of government, wouldn't your whole point be that individuals can/should do those things on their own, without government interference?

 

:iagree:and I am a raging Conservative.

[LidiyaDawn]

If someone told me that they bought an electric car, the first thing I would think would be "oh cool!" and then "can I see it?" … I wouldn't make any political associations. I don't follow politics much at all, so I wouldn't know who was on what side of whatever.

[PeacefulChaos]

I have seen others think that to be environmentally friendly = liberal, but I don't agree with it. I'm not like, crazy about it or anything but I try to do what I can. And I'm about as conservative as they come. :D

[seraphina]

What amazes me is when people thinks it makes you a liberal if you recycle. I was amazed when our community started talking about mandatory recycling and everyone was up in arms about it. They weren't up in arms about being told to do something by the government because I could totally see that but they were up in arms because they thought recycling was a waste. That kind of floored me. Yes I am a liberal, hippie, greenie but I guess I have never understood why anyone would think recycling a can would make you a liberal. Not sure I understand the logic. I mean my grandpa was a conservative logger but he loved the environment because he relied on it and wanted a clean world for his grandkids. That didn't make him a socialist, it made him a respecter of God's creations.

[Truscifi]

I don't think so, but my grandfather thinks hippie, tree-hugger, and liberal are synonyms. Maybe it's generational.

[Mergath]

I seem to run into a lot of religious conservatives that think doing things that are eco-friendly- even if it's just recycling- means that you don't trust God, because God made the Earth with exactly the resources we'd need to use up. Or something. I don't know. It's all very convoluted and illogical.

 

Of course, I'm one of those evil liberals, so take my opinion with a grain of salt. :D

[pqr]

Of course not.

 

Buying into some of the nuttiness that seems to circle the environmental issue like carrion birds around a carcass may get one tagged with the "L word" but most conservatives that I know recycle and, believe it or not, actually like clean air and water. I rather enjoy breathing and the idea of industrial waste next to the veg simply is not appetizing. Now a nice piece of venison or some other renewable resource...well that is a different story.

 

 

Now were one to appear at this little meeting you might get the "L word" thrown at you.

 

Edited October 2, 2011 by pqr

[goldberry]

Now were one to appear at this little meeting you might get the "L word" thrown at you.

 

 

Ohhhh...kayyy...

 

Thanks for the comments everyone...I've been very sad and jaded about the extreme divisions lately. This thread is at least a BIT encouraging. It's always the extremists that get all the attention. Nice to know some common ground still exists.

[Lawana]

Absolutely not. Respect for the environment should not be conflated with a politcal agenda, IMNHO.

[LAS in LA]

I enjoyed reading this book http://www.amazon.com/Crunchy-Cons-Conservative-Counterculture-Return/dp/1400050650/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1317522858&sr=8-2 a few years ago. Nice to know there are other conservatives in Birkenstocks!

[Margo out of lurking]

...

Edited November 20, 2012 by Kristine out of lurking
P.S.

[Aelwydd]

I don't understand why electric cars "save" energy. That seems ridiculous to me, but maybe I'm missing something.:confused:

 

I've driven my Prius (which is NOT electric!!) for three years. The only negative is that I don't want people to think I'm that liberal. ;) I didn't buy it because it saves energy; I bought it because its 57mpg saves *me* money on gas. I roughly figured the other day that it's saved us $4000 so far.

 

P.S. Oh, yeah, I recycle too.

 

To me, it's a question of what kind of energy I'm saving. Oil is really such a versatile resource: it's used for many things, including plastics, which are pretty much indispensible.

 

When I'm deciding what kind of energy to use, I tend to think in terms of, is oil used, and if so, can it be replaced with another type of energy? Some things cannot, as of now, be produced without petroleum. Therefore, it makes sense to me, to elect to use alternate forms of energy, whenever possible, in order to preserve our oil supply for non-negotiables.

[Liz CA]

No. This is my short answer. I am not a liberal in the political sense but I don't like to squander or abuse the environment and our resources.

I do not agree with everything environmentalists are proposing and don't consider myself an environmentalist by most people's standards but I don't agree with a lot of "common" practices especially in regards to commercial agriculture.

[Skadi]

One reason why they might be criticizing him is that most hybrid and electric cars are subsidized by the government. Not only did the manufacturer receive incentives, but the person buying the car will get $2k - $4k from the government, too (sometimes more if you're from a state like California). I believe the most important vote we cast is with our wallet, so I do not believe it is ethical to support what is going on in that sector.

 

I'm a libertarian, by the way. I believe that one of the few roles government should play is in protecting the environment as an extension of private property (e.g. pollution and dumping is an injury being inflicted upon us all). As far as individual environmentalism goes? This is only my personal observation, but at all the road and trail clean ups we've participated in, I'd say that 80% of the participants were conservative. They were of the "Let's keep the world decent" 1950's types. And I've seen plenty of people with liberal bumper stickers on their cars throw cigarettes and trash out of their windows. I think that the stereotype of the liberal who recycles religiously may not be so prevalent as we think. Or it may just be that while it's easy for a person to say, "The government should clean up the environment," it's a lot more work to do it in your own everyday life.

[Georgiana Daniels]

I do believe the perception is that environment=liberal. However, I'm conservative (read, conservative, not Republican) and I care about the environment. For crying out loud, God gave us charge over His creation and we ought to take better care of it. It just makes sense.

[Heidi]

I read some article in college that talked about how the roots of environmentalism was darwinistic b/c it began with the idea that we should live in harmony with nature because humans used to be animals... don't cut down trees b/c they have feelings too... i'm having a hard time remembering. I wish I kept the article. Maybe that has something to do with it?

[KarenNC]

I enjoyed reading this book http://www.amazon.com/Crunchy-Cons-Conservative-Counterculture-Return/dp/1400050650/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1317522858&sr=8-2 a few years ago. Nice to know there are other conservatives in Birkenstocks!

 

We enjoyed reading that several years ago and my husband used to follow the author's blog. Unfortunately, he says the guy no longer does "crunchy" on his blog, just "con" and increasingly stridently so. It's a shame.

[DawnM]

Very all or nothing approach. This is one reason I don't align myself with either "side."

[KarenNC]

It goes both ways. I'm pretty liberal, but apparently homeschooling isn't a particularly liberal thing. So I get comments about that.

 

I had to laugh at this because my friend was homeschooled in the 70s and 80s (when it was illegal in their state) by her extremely atheist, extremely hippy mother as a counterculture effort-----definitely not conservative politically, socially, etc. They participated in war protests and nuclear protests, lived in a commune for a while, spent time in Haight Ashbury, etc. I think unschooling may be seen as a possibly "liberal" thing, but classical certainly doesn't seem to be so in my circles (does that make it "counterculture" for me, then? ;)).

 

As my husband puts it, whatever one doesn't like must therefore be what "those other people" obviously do, and so one must decry it........

[creekland]

I'm a very, VERY, "green" conservative bordering on libertarian. I just disagree with the 'party line' on most (but not all) "green" issues.

 

I simply want clean air, clean water, and a planet that is as pristine as possible to enjoy and to pass down to future generations.

[T'smom]

I think it's ridiculous to say liberal=green. Although I am both. I'm also very, VERY Christian. As I was growing up it was not at all unusual to have Sunday School lessons on taking care of God's creation. I can't say more about this without getting banned.

[SKL]

I personally think that many conservatives have a relatively environmentally-friendly lifestyle, but they do so because they hate to waste (or can't afford to), not because Al Gore made a documentary.

 

Of course we're all different, but before I buy an "eco-friendly" car, I'll do a lot of research and make sure I hear both sides of the story. My friends bought Priuses and learned shortly thereafter that the Prius is not really high on the list of eco-friendly cars. Oops!

 

I think buying a new, noticeable car is often "making a statement." If you're a politician, all the more so. So politicians should do their research and be prepared with a good answer for the inevitable questioning that will occur.

[kalanamak]

I don't understand why electric cars "save" energy. That seems ridiculous to me, but maybe I'm missing something.:confused:

 

 

I think of "being green" as more than just a raw amount of "savings".

 

If you live is a city, where the "burning" takes place is important. Even pretty-clean Seattle irritates my throat if I have to sit in bumper to bumper. Electricity can be generated in more rural places with a good wind. Or as a college prof used to say: The solution to pollution is dilution.

 

Electricity can be generated from a variety of sources, not just oil. If it comes to being oil "hostages", if we have the will to dig it and burn it, we have coal enough for electricity. I'm not a political paranoid, but I think oil *could* be a real bone of contention in the next 100 years. My resident geologist (Dad) is dead, but I remember him saying we had coal for over a century if we were willing to get it and use it. And at some point, the price of oil might make alternative sources cost effective. I hope we factor in the price of war when making that calculation. :)

 

Just some thoughts.

[mytwomonkeys]

 

This entire idea that caring for the planet is "liberal" is so weird to me.

 

 

:iagree: i don't even equate the two.

[TranquilMind]

I read an article about a conservative senator who bought one of those electric cars that you charge up. He was criticized for buying a "liberal-mobile". I thought that was so weird. I know there are different viewpoints about what government regulations should be or how far those regulations or actions should go from a government viewpoint. I just didn't think an individual doing something they felt was good for the environment would qualify them as "liberal" or would offend someone who was conservative.

 

If you are a conservative and don't believe the government should be involved or regulate environmental issues, does that mean you would be against that on an individual level? This struck me as so odd. And disappointing at how extreme the definitions have come to be.

No. It is merely common sense not to be wasteful.

[wuttadeal]

I hold a local elected office and was endorsed by a conservation group. It is hard to get away from the environmental=liberal idea. I have had people argue with me about non-environmental issues that I agree with them on before they've heard my position, simply because they believe the two are one in the same. Go figure :-/

[mommymilkies]

I don't see why Liberal is a bad word. I am very liberal and very pro-Environment. But my two biggest environmental heroes in my life are my dad and one of my stepdads. Both are VERY conservative. :lol:

[FiveOaksAcademy]

Not liberal:

1. Doing things that could potentially save one money and may be environmentally friendly;

2. Doing things to care for the earth because God created it;

3. Coming up with new energy ideas and sources to keep us from being under the thumb of terrorist countries;

4. Just coming up with ways to conserve what we have and use.

 

Very liberal:

1. Regulating that EVERYONE MUST line up with your views on environmental friendliness telling them how YOU think they must do it;

2 The above, especially when some of those ideas are really not as environmentally friendly as they were said to be.

 

In other words, I care about the earth, take actions that show my care for the earth, and consider that those actions are based on gratitude to my creator for putting me here. I would love an electric car because it could potentially save me some money!! ;) The jury is still out as to whether it is as environmentally friendly as once said. I don't really trust those who are coming up with the ideas for "environmental friendliness", especially when there is so much money being made by those same people.

Edited October 8, 2011 by FiveOaksAcademy

[Slartibartfast]

Very liberal:

1. Regulating that EVERYONE MUST line up with your views on environmental friendliness telling them how YOU think they must do it;

2 The above, especially when some of those ideas are really not as environmentally friendly as they were said to be.

 

Why are those things "Very Liberal?"

 

Liberal =/= schyster