[jmacdaddio]

In the year after I came across this site, I've developed a serious case of what I'll loosely term "Fossil Fuel Guilt" -- as if a Catholic education wasn't bad enough.

Here's an example: tonight I could have hopped in my car and completed a 4 mile trip to get a submarine sandwich which would have been the perfect way to cap off a long week. The other side of the coin was to wipe out leftover pasta that I've been eating all week, which I was quite sick of. I realized I would use far more energy getting me to the sandwich than I would get from the sandwich itself, and I saw no value in going to get the sandwich.

I just wish I could turn this off. I don't like feeling guilty every time I drive to go see friends or family, or get sandwiches. Other days I just figure I might as well get a sports car and fly to Vegas for the weekend, since my grandkids probably won't get to do that.

Does anyone have any advice for dealing with fossil fuel guilt?

[XOVERX]

Advice? Sure. Don't worry. We'll all be walking soon enough.

[pcoates]

I hear you. I run my house at 16C inthe winter, and in the shoulder season I turn off the heating altogether. I'll sit at the kayboard (I work from home) wearing 2 sweaters and a hat rather than turn the heating on. It is clearly not rational. Having said that my heating bill for last winter was $1200 and I live in the Yukon.
I'm worried that I wil stop driving altogether. And I drive an Insight.

I'm afraid that you and I are missing out on the last party!

[Jack]

Does anyone have any advice for dealing with fossil fuel guilt?

First of all, the problem is so large that the actions of a single individual have negligable impact for good or ill. If you were able to influence others such that you did have an impact, Jevon's paradox kicks in.

The stage is set for the various events - perhaps including a massive dieoff of human population - and there is essentially nothing individuals can do. Personally, I strongly doubt whether national governments can mitigate the coming festivities.

So go get the sandwich, have them toast it, then drive home the long way with the air conditioner cranked. You're at the end of the greatest party the world has ever known - so you just as well enjoy it while you can.

[the_red_pill]

I am definitely a part of this group! I know all about Jevon's paradox, but look at this way: I'm not dumping flourocarbons or carbon dioxide into the atmosphere every time I get on my bike and leave the car at home.

I have basically conditioned myself to treat driving like a luxury and although maybe I'm not doing anything for the greater good by denying myself the driving, I feel better about myself and allows me to deal with it.

I also am saving money by not driving, there's always a bonus, and I'm not making car payments (my car is a beatup Honda), paying expensive car insurance and watching something lose value by just watching it parked!

[Raxozanne]

I use my toilet paper twice. and then I wipe my nose with it. then I compost it. then I put it in the garden.

What a conversation stopper...

[Kfish]

What you are doing by eating the leftover pasta rather than driving to get a sandwich is accustoming yourself to a low-fuel lifestyle voluntarily, while you still have the choice.

You could go and get the sandwich without it having an impact on the future energy situation. However, you would later be forced to come to terms with a low-energy lifestyle involuntarily, incurring slightly more psychological struggle and frustration over a greater drop in your standard of living.

[dub_scratch]

Dude, where do you live where it takes you 4 miles to get a sandwich?

[skeptic]

Does anyone have any advice for dealing with fossil fuel guilt?

I'm surprised that you , a Catholic should need to ask. I would have thought this would be more of a probelm for protestants.

Go to confession, explain the situation and admit your guilt feelings to your priest, ask to be absolved and do penance. He probably won't see what you are asking to be absolved of as a sin, but ask for absolution anyway. Isnt this the normal Catholic method of dealing with guilt? If it works for you, use it.

[jupiters_release]

Does anyone have any advice for dealing with fossil fuel guilt?

I'm surprised that you , a Catholic should need to ask. I would have thought this would be more of a probelm for protestants.

[Andrew_S]

In recent weeks, when I see people driving their cars, I've been thinking how long would that gallon of petrol they're burning keep somebody alive in, say, 15 years time?

I don't feel guilt as I use public transportation and walk.

I reckon quite a few people will kill for a gallon in about 15 years (oh, some Americans will probably be killing for it much sooner. )

[jmacdaddio]

Dude, where do you live where it takes you 4 miles to get a sandwich?

I live in a heavily developed part of NJ. The store I was thinking about going to is 2 miles away. There are other places which are closer than 2 miles, but they're either not as good or run by large chains.

Lately I've been writing my Congressional reps and state legislators to ask for an increase in gas taxes, since that's the only way to stop people from driving. If I go out and get a Toyota Yaris, that gives Toyota the right to sell another Land Cruiser (thanks to CAFE rules). Beyond demanding French-style gas taxes, there isn't much else I can do at this point. I'm not going to be the lone bicyclist dodging potholes and SUVs at the shopping mall. And I have no plans to compost my twice-used toilet paper either.

[nero]

Yes I feel guilty using the car too. It's silly but it's continually in the back of my mind as I'm driving. Every 8km I tick off another litre of gasoline gone.

Did some quick calculations. My "fair" share of the known remaining gasoline is about 220 fillups. I think I might be able to make it to retirement if I fillerup every other month.

[AdamB]

Today New York Mayor Bill De Blasio announced a goal to divest New York City’s pension funds from fossil fuel reserve owners within five years. This makes New York the first major American city to announce such a move. According to a statement, the city’s five pension funds have approximately $5 billion invested in over 190 fossil fuel companies. “New York City is standing up for future generations by becoming the first major U.S. city to divest our pension funds from fossil fuels,” said Mayor de Blasio. “At the same time, we’re bringing the fight against climate change straight to the fossil fuel companies that knew about its effects and intentionally misled the public to protect their profits.” Mayor de Blasio explained how the city was “bringing the fight” when he also announced the city will be suing the five largest investor-owned fossil fuel companies — BP, Chevron, ConocoPhillips,

New York City Will Divest Pension Funds from Fossil Fuel Companies

[Outcast_Searcher]

Today New York Mayor Bill De Blasio announced a goal to divest New York City’s pension funds from fossil fuel reserve owners within five years. This makes New York the first major American city to announce such a move. According to a statement, the city’s five pension funds have approximately $5 billion invested in over 190 fossil fuel companies. “New York City is standing up for future generations by becoming the first major U.S. city to divest our pension funds from fossil fuels,” said Mayor de Blasio. “At the same time, we’re bringing the fight against climate change straight to the fossil fuel companies that knew about its effects and intentionally misled the public to protect their profits.” Mayor de Blasio explained how the city was “bringing the fight” when he also announced the city will be suing the five largest investor-owned fossil fuel companies — BP, Chevron, ConocoPhillips,

New York City Will Divest Pension Funds from Fossil Fuel Companies

This kind of thing just angers me at typical politicians.

This is all about who will pay for NYC to mitigate AGW.

Obviously, the mayor will blame someone ELSE.

Obviously, the residents of NYC want someone ELSE to pay to protect their city.

Hell, currently, the NYT regales us with many tales of NYC subway woes -- which could ALL be fixed if the residents would:

1). Be willing to PAY ticket costs that reflect the cost of a top quality subway system, and MAINTAINING it.

2). Be willing to pressure/fire politicians to force the massive corruption out of the running of the subway system. (But it's easier to just complain, of course).

And I figure the cost of the subway is pocket change compared to the cost of serious long term SLR mitigation for NYC.

...

But yeah, let's see them sell BP and CVX and keep driving ICE cars, etc. and see how far that gets them toward preventing SLR.

[KaiserJeep]

Energy stocks ARE much loved by pension funds of all types. I read a demographic study in 2014 which identified the two largest distiguishable groups that comprise "Big Oil" stockholders.

#1 was pension funds in the UK. #2 was pension funds in the USA. Remember this when ranting about Big Oil. If YOU are not Big Oil already, you will be after retiring.

[ROCKMAN]

KJ - Exactly. As I just pointed out elsewhere: their is no Mr. ExxonMobil or Mr. Shell Oil. Big Oil is millions of American and foreign shareholders. And all the oil/NG produced is for their benefit. Just as it has been for all the NYC folks in those pension funds. I won't take the time but the citizens of NYC have probably directly added more CO2 into the atmosphere then any individual oil/NG producer. Which brings us back to the guilt aspect: the fossil fuel consumers are collectively the greatest producers of climate change. And the mayor of NYC will have difficulty dodging that fact if questioned on the stand.

Yes: if oil/NG companies didn't produce fossil fuels there would be none to produce, But if hundreds of thousands of citizen mineral owners (including the state and federal govt) didn't lease drilling rights to the companies then no oil/NG would have been produced. Similarly had none of the states (including NY) issued drilling permits not a single oil/NG well would have been drilled in the US. And no fossil fuels would have been available to be DIRECTLY CONVERTED into CO2 by the citizens of NYC.

Folks like to refer to the "commons". With respect to the commons (all the fossil fuel consumers on the planet) it's rather difficult for them to blame others for the CHOICE they've made to use fossil fuels to improve their lives. That guilt is so devastating just sit back and watch some here try to use twisted logic here to deflect that guilt from themselves.

Personally I have no problem accepting my role in supplying the folks responsible for causing climate change. Especially since the Rockman has been such a minor player.

[ROCKMAN]

KJ - Exactly. As I just pointed out elsewhere: their is no Mr. ExxonMobil or Mr. Shell Oil. Big Oil is millions of American and foreign shareholders. And all the oil/NG produced is for their benefit. Just as it has been for all the NYC folks in those pension funds. I won't take the time but the citizens of NYC have probably directly added more CO2 into the atmosphere then any individual oil/NG producer. Which brings us back to the guilt aspect: the fossil fuel consumers are collectively the greatest producers of climate change. And the mayor of NYC will have difficulty dodging that fact if questioned on the stand.

Yes: if oil/NG companies didn't produce fossil fuels there would be none to produce, But if hundreds of thousands of citizen mineral owners (including the state and federal govt) didn't lease drilling rights to the companies then no oil/NG would have been produced. Similarly had none of the states (including NY) issued drilling permits not a single oil/NG well would have been drilled in the US. And no fossil fuels would have been available to be DIRECTLY CONVERTED into CO2 by the citizens of NYC.

Folks like to refer to the "commons". With respect to the commons (all the fossil fuel consumers on the planet) it's rather difficult for them to blame others for the CHOICE they've made to use fossil fuels to improve their lives. That guilt is so devastating just sit back and watch some here try to use twisted logic here to deflect that guilt from themselves.

Personally I have no problem accepting my role in supplying the folks responsible for causing climate change. Especially since the Rockman has been such a minor player.

[Outcast_Searcher]

To me the divestiture idea is silly and is merely virtue signaling.

Look, if there is less demand for oil production stocks, it doesn't stop oil production. Someone will want to own the stocks once they're cheap enough to be great values through the dividend (not to mention potential capital appreciation). If a LOT of divestment happens, then it merely makes it a GREAT deal for the people still willing to invest -- assuming that actually drops the price a lot.

The only thing that would do to hurt oil production is limit the amount of capital an oil company can raise by issueing more stock. Not exactly a crushing blow.

OTOH, if people are really serious about stopping FF burning, they could, well, stop burning as many fossil fuels THEMSELVES as possible. But suddenly when we get beyond virtue signaling and it gets expensive, inconvenient, or heaven forbid, impacts lifestyles, then for the vast majority, that ain't happening.

In the end this is much empty crowing about nothing.