People who deny anthropogenic factors affecting climate change.

GLORIOUSLeader

The power grid is still stuck in the 20th century. Problem is, obstructionist politicians wave their arms and yell BUT NEW TAXES and so nothing substantial ever gets done. This is why things spiral out of control, and why we're in the situation we are now.

Also, if you buy an SUV and you live in a big city, you deserve to be forced to change, because really, why? 

Chagen

Conductor:....What?

When has the UK not been considered part of Europe?

At least us Americans consider you part of Europe.

ClockworkUniverse

At least us Americans consider you part of Europe.

I don't.

Chagen

They're like ten miles from Europe (yes, obvious exxageration, I know), why wouldn't they be part of it?

ClockworkUniverse

Because they aren't on the continent and don't use the Euro?

GLORIOUSLeader

Because differing customs and social norms and centuries of isolation and different growth in government (they were the first country to have a constitutional monarchy whilst the continent was flooded with absolutists and near-absolutists, for example), not to mention nearly a century of bitter, bitter animosity with other countries, especially the French. 

glennmagusharvey

@Bee > Electric cars are less awesome than people make it sound.

Hence my emphasis on hybrids.  At least for now.

@Bee > The other thing is that the first place we should be attacking carbon emissions isn't transportation, it's the power grid (seriously, WTF is with all this coal).  All shifting transportation from petrol to the power grid will do is make the power grid put out more emissions in its place.

Well, there's stuff to be said about making the grid itself more efficient, and also finding better storage technology so the grid can make do with less constant sources of energy.  Or making safer versions of nuclear.

@GLORIOUSLeader > The power grid is still stuck in the 20th century. Problem is, obstructionist politicians wave their arms and yell BUT NEW TAXES and so nothing substantial ever gets done.

This.  It's like, you have to cast good policy from political hit points or something and no one wants to do it.  Crikeys.

@Chagen > When has the UK not been considered part of Europe?

Well, I consider it part of Europe, but its technically not part of the Eurozone, and its being separate from the continent has been...rather important in its history, many times over.

@GLORIOUSLeader > Because differing customs and social norms and centuries of isolation and different growth in government (they were the first country to have a constitutional monarchy whilst the continent was flooded with absolutists and near-absolutists, for example), not to mention nearly a century of bitter, bitter animosity with other countries, especially the French.

Also not getting overrun by the Nazis.  And partly due to being on an island, having THE MOST POWERFUL NAVY IN THE WORLD for quite a long time.

TheConductor

This may come as a massive shocker to you Chagen, but the USA isn't the authority on which country is part of which organisation. I know it's crazy. 

While we ARE technically part of the European Union, we have a tendancy to...not do anything the Union decides...like ever.

ClockworkUniverse

Wait, England's in the EU? But...they don't even use the Euro...and they check people's passports at the border coming from EU countries...

GLORIOUSLeader

You don't have to be in the Eurosphere to be in the EU, and AFAIK checking the passports is just a security thing, related to their recent CCTV fetish. 

glennmagusharvey

I find it a bit funny every time "CCTV" is mentioned, since it's also the name of a Hong Kong broadcast TV channel.

GLORIOUSLeader

I know that. Know how I know that? Because they're trying to build this:

glennmagusharvey

HOLY SHIT THAT LOOK AWESOME

...though impractical.

GLORIOUSLeader

Actually, those trusses around the building are shaped oddly because it's the most practical way for them to be most efficient at load-bearing. A uniform pattern would create too much stress on the arms and the corners. 

Also, there was a fire there a couple years ago. You can imagine how well that went. 

glennmagusharvey

...wait, that thing is real?

the fuck.

GLORIOUSLeader

Indeed. Though it remains unoccupied. 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/China_Central_Television_Headquarters

IanExMachina

"We are with Europe but not of it. We are linked but not combined. We are interested and associated but not absorbed."

Chagen

Well, I usually just group the UK with Europe when it's convienent--kinda like how Gran Turismo and Forza consider British cars to be eligible for European events.

Bee

There's also a lot that can be done to cut down on power usage as a whole.  For instance, air conditioning and heating eat an enormous amount of power (and most forms of air conditioning just eject heat elsewhere, even more net than you would have had without it), and both can be reduced dramatically by just installing proper insulation or wearing more/less clothes.

Another area is hot water heaters, which you can leave off for the entire day and night except about half an hour before you take a shower, but nobody does.

ClockworkUniverse

Well, I live in Alabama, and I already use every possible method of reducing AC costs, but I still need a lot of AC.

I wish my neighborhood didn't ban air-drying clothes, though. Dryers waste so much energy doing something that happens naturally if you just let your clothes sit out for a bit.

Bee

You can also spend the majority of your time in a public building that's already using way too much AC, but that's rather missing the point...

IanExMachina

@INUH

Your neighbourhood banned drying clothes outside in the air?

Frankly it sounds ridiculous that they are able to do that.

ClockworkUniverse

^^Heh, true, but then I'd have to drive to it :P

^It's a planned community where to buy a house or a lot, you have to sign some agreements in order to keep the neighborhood looking good. Therefore, if you violate them, your purchase of the house becomes invalid.

IanExMachina

^

I can see where they are coming from but I feel that disallowing washing drying outside is an idiotic requirement, especially as you mention how hot it is it would be super easy to dry.

(If you don't mind me asking is there anything else that you specifically can't do?)

ClockworkUniverse

It's mostly fairly reasonable stuff. Don't put trash all over your porch and yard. Don't build houses that look absurdly out-of-place (they stopped enforcing this when the housing market declined. People were pissed.) Probably the oddest one except the air-drying thing is not putting plants not native to the region in your front yard, in order to preserve the neighborhood's natural look. And the drying thing isn't complained about much because Americans don't tend to air dry clothes anyway (though that's not a good thing)

The end result, though, is that the area looks pretty awesome.

IanExMachina

I see where they are coming from but the idea of all the restrictions irks me a little, oh well.

Air drying clothes isn't common in America ?

Chagen

No. Not at all.

ClockworkUniverse

Well, the thing is, people who don't like the restrictions don't move here.

And yeah, it's really unusual. Definitely not one of the country's better traits.

IanExMachina

Honestly surprised.

On the other hand as long as you aren't living in a restricted neighbourhood an easy way to cut energy usage would be to air dry clothes!

Quickly start a air drying clothes grass roots campaign!

TheConductor

In Frinton, where my Grandad stays (it's near Cambridge) you're not allowed to drink in the lawns or hang out washing.