President candidate says "give up your gas hogs."
Does Democratic presidential contender John Edwards want RV enthusiasts to give up their motorhomes and tow vehicles? Edwards said Wednesday in a speech to union workers that he would ask Americans to give up their fuel inefficient sport utility vehicles, even as he appears to disregard such advice himself. He told the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers in Lake Buena Vista, Florida that he believes Americans are willing to make the sacrifice.
Asked specifically whether he meant Americans should give up their SUVs, he replied: "Yes."
Yet, the Politico.com political Website reported the following day that all major Democratic presidential candidates including Edwards are not taking the advice themselves. Edwards showed up in Iowa after announcing his presidential bid in New Orleans in a Cadillac SRX Crossover, which gets about 15 miles per gallon.PHOTO: Fuel-efficent RV of the future!
If Edwards meant Americans should also give up their RVs, he'll have a hard convincing RVers that "they" are the problem. The fact is, when RVers are traveling with their vehicles, their real homes are closed up with utilities turned off, and the RVers' rigs are often parked days or even weeks at a campsite, burning little energy beyond a little propane. And all the while, the RVers are not commuting to work each day like millions of other Americans -- most, if not many of them, piling up more miles in a month than the average RVer puts on in a year.
posted by Chuck Woodbury at
8/31/2007 10:34:00 AM
17 Comments:
They can have my RV when they carry my dead body out of it.
I would like someone to calculate how much Jet Fuel is used by The Candidate flying around the country.
I bet that the total gallons would be much more than all the RV community uses in a year. I think the all the candidates need to worry more about Health Care and How much of OUR tax dollars are going Out of the country.
Tom O'Brien..... Portland OR
By
Anonymous, at 5:44 AM, September 01, 2007
He's just one of many liberal, socialist politicians who know what's best for us, and since they are soooo important shouldn't have to abide by the same rules. He's following in the footsteps of Al Gore, another hypocrite!
Pennsylvania
By
Anonymous, at 11:51 AM, September 01, 2007
I wish the candidates/politicians would back off of improving the gas mileage so much and work more on emissions. After all, isn't that what they say is causing the global warming?
We have two cars that average 38+mpg and 44+mpg (plus 80% less emissions), then our MH that averages 8mpg. Overall average is 30mpg but then we drive our MH a lot less than our cars.
People can have their gas hogs but it would better if for commuting they would get autos that are more fuel efficent and/or less polluting. Save the gas hogs for pleasure driving.
Most important, the candidates/politicians need to set the example. If the change is not good enough for them, then why should the American people do it?
By
Anonymous, at 12:54 PM, September 01, 2007
Just another hypocritical, 2 faced politician with that "do as I say- not as I do" mantra. But don't worry - Hillary's cold heart will stop the global warming......
By
Anonymous, at 2:38 PM, September 01, 2007
Beware of over-simplifications. ALL vehicular travel accounts for only 1/5th of the CO-2 released into the atmosphere. Electric power plants counts for over 2/5ths of the CO-2. Manufacturing and other uses account for the remaining CO-2.
It's easy and expedient to point to one thing, like vehicles and somehow imply that they will solve the problem. We must all look at our "TOTAL Carbon Footprint" - not just vehicles. For instance, my wife went back to drying on a clothesline and only uses the gas dryer for a little fluffing. We plan local trips to minimize gas. We switched to 100% fluorescent lighting - and so on.
When we stay in and travel in our travel trailer, our TOTAL Energy Footprint is well less than if we just stayed home.
One last thing: Safety! Look carefully at safety statistics of automobiles. They are separated by classes (sub-compacts, full-size, etc.) for rating their safety - only comparing within their own class. Fact is - you are about 5 times as likely to die in a crash in a light, fuel efficient car than in one in the 'full-sized' class. 5-times! Is it worth your life, when you can take so many other steps to reduce your Total Carbon Footprint.
By
AJ Dalton, at 2:52 PM, September 01, 2007
The day they shut the lights off in Las Vegas and Disneyland, then I'll consider not using my RV. We only use about 75 gallons a month in our travels.....far far fewer gallons than most commuters. We have a 3/4 ton pickup, too....it gets 22 mpg (while not towing).......politicians and people should not assume that just BIG rigs use the most fuel. Our smaller mid size pickup gets LESS miles per gallon (15-17)!
By
Anonymous, at 4:05 PM, September 01, 2007
Give up my Fifth Wheel Like Hell. Run for dog catcher and I'll vote for you if you'll take HRC as your assistant.
Bill Hatch said that,
By
Anonymous, at 5:33 PM, September 01, 2007
I agree that we need to work hard to reduce our carbon footprint-however-lets get real about "kid" carriers. I see most of these vehicles hauling children to events that get them out from in front of the TV.
When my daughter was growing up, I wish I could have afforded an SUV. The girl scout troup I led could never take field trips because we could never line up enough parents with large enough cars to accomodate everyone.
(I plan to offset my RV use with a photovoltaic electric system on my house.) Susan California
By
Anonymous, at 7:52 AM, September 02, 2007
Anyone who spends $400 on a haircut has no business telling me how to economize.
By
Anonymous, at 8:54 PM, September 02, 2007
The fuel I use hauling my travel trailer is more than offset by the quality family time it affords me and the people I've met in the RV community on our travels. I applaud the previous posts that discuss the other major sources of green house gases, and saving energy while at home. The RVers I've met are the greatest people, always willing to help, or pass on a trick or two to a "newbie". Talk about a grass roots movement for peace and cooperation. The candidates should consider that.
By
Anonymous, at 4:59 AM, September 03, 2007
The Cadillac SRX is a crossover, not an SUV. It gets between 19 and 20 something mpg. Even the Northstar V8 ones get better gas mileage than previous V8s - I've been test-driving them. He didn't say anything about people getting rid of their RVs. That's simply conjecture on the part of this writer - "I wonder if he wants us to get rid of our RVs?" Let's not put words in the candidates mouths - they put enough in there themselves.
By
Cynthia from Tennessee, at 5:40 AM, September 03, 2007
I am extremely disappointed that you made all this fuss about what John Edwards MIGHT imply. This is NOT a political site, but one I thought was solely for the benefit of gleaning useful RV information.The man did NOT mention RV's, so why are you spreading fear? This is truly disgusting that you are pandering to fear to obviously promote your personal adgenda. Poulsbo, Washington
By
Anonymous, at 4:55 PM, September 03, 2007
I disagree with the Poulsbo poster. Politicians want us to continue to sacrifice so they can keep their "lifestyle". This is exactly the type of thing that affects those of us in our F450's pulling our home on wheels. While they required the Manufacturers to clean up the air with lower diesel emissions, we now sacrifice with lower mpg. That's a Federally regulated idea!
By
Anonymous, at 10:28 AM, September 04, 2007
Has anyone looked at the amount of CO produced by the ocean? Weather has fluctuated throughout the history of the world. Ice ages, warming, are all part of the cycle of the earth. All of this "global warming" hysteria is for only one thing, power to those who capitalize on the fears and ignorance of a lemming-like populace that is willing to follow those who want to part them from their money and freedom
By
Tom Jones, at 6:49 AM, September 06, 2007
Sheez! It seems fear is all the right has to work with. Edwards never said a word about RVs at all. And what if you're wrong about global warming, Mr. Conservative? We all die. If you tow a huge 5'er you need a 450; if you're only taking the kids to ball practice, you don't! And to the extremists on the right who say liberals "tax and spend", I feel it's better than just spending (ala 10 BILLION a month on a war. Oh, and by the way, it was Al Quaida, not Iraq, that was responsible for 9/11.) lets get back to RVing, for crying out loud!
By
Anonymous, at 11:25 AM, September 15, 2007
We have a "gas hog" and love it! But is it? We drive to the desert southwest for warmth in the winter, the mountains for cool in the summer. We feel that what is spent on gas consuption, counter balances what we would spend on heating and cooling a big house year round.
Tom and Lynda Y.
By
Anonymous, at 6:47 AM, September 27, 2007
what john edwards doesn't fathom is that there is a lot of people in the north that can not get to work or home unless they have 4x4. duh SNOW!!!!! what an idiot.
By
Anonymous, at 10:37 AM, October 05, 2007
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