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The United States culture has evolved around convenience and not around excellence, and this culture spread into many parts of the world one way or another, but

The United States culture has evolved around convenience and not around excellence, and this culture spread into many parts of the world one way or another, but some places are more resistant. Cheap, lightweight, convenient, fast, easy - these are the main factors that drive peoples actions, which now manifests in environmental and also health problems (obesity). Take Americans vs. European cars as an example. European cars have always been more performant while being more fuel efficient. American car manufacturers would simply put bigger engines as a quick and easy way to make more powerful cars. This has changed in the last decade when fuel prices went up. The environmental impact is not hard to foresee if you think about it, but most people don't. Reasoning about the long term impact on the actions you do today on your health and environment has to be part of education. We have to teach kids to care about the environment from an early age. It will not be easy to change the culture of convenience because now it is almost in people's genes.

jessaustin 7y ago
I've heard this about European cars forever. I haven't driven many, but I haven't been impressed. My buddy had a Renault that was impossible to shift into reverse. When my parents bought a new VW, the engine failed within 5000 miles. No dealer in the state could fix it. They trailered the car to a dealer in a different state and traded it in. VW blasting its dumb "Sounds of Silence" commercial multiple times an hour led me to watching most of the Stanley Cup final on a time delay. Haha VW that joke was funny the first time. Yeah it was a real misfortune for you that you cheated on emissions tests and killed lots of urban children with your noxious diesel fumes.
- molodec 7y ago
  Of course, you can find sloppiness and bad examples everywhere, but you don't prove the theory by a few examples. Perhaps cars was a bad example. My point was that the Japanese and European carmakers always tried to get better performance out of engines without scarifying fuel efficiency. I am not a European nor an American, but I lived on both continents. Visually ( I don't have a statical proof) Americans use much more plastic and produce more plastic garbage than Europeans. A lot of people in Europe genuinely care about the environment and are ready to sacrifice convenience for the environment, but very few people in the USA are willing to do so. Our office produces several large bags of garbage, and we don't have that many people. I am the only person on the whole floor who uses a glass cup for tea, coffee, and water. A reusable glass cup good for my hormones, good for the environment, and also much more pleasant to drink from. I have to wash it from time to time, which some people may find it inconvenient, as it is a lot easier to fill a plastic cup with water, drink it and throw it in the garbage.

jessaustin 7y ago

I've heard this about European cars forever. I haven't driven many, but I haven't been impressed. My buddy had a Renault that was impossible to shift into reverse. When my parents bought a new VW, the engine failed within 5000 miles. No dealer in the state could fix it. They trailered the car to a dealer in a different state and traded it in. VW blasting its dumb "Sounds of Silence" commercial multiple times an hour led me to watching most of the Stanley Cup final on a time delay. Haha VW that joke was funny the first time. Yeah it was a real misfortune for you that you cheated on emissions tests and killed lots of urban children with your noxious diesel fumes.

molodec 7y ago
Of course, you can find sloppiness and bad examples everywhere, but you don't prove the theory by a few examples. Perhaps cars was a bad example. My point was that the Japanese and European carmakers always tried to get better performance out of engines without scarifying fuel efficiency. I am not a European nor an American, but I lived on both continents. Visually ( I don't have a statical proof) Americans use much more plastic and produce more plastic garbage than Europeans. A lot of people in Europe genuinely care about the environment and are ready to sacrifice convenience for the environment, but very few people in the USA are willing to do so. Our office produces several large bags of garbage, and we don't have that many people. I am the only person on the whole floor who uses a glass cup for tea, coffee, and water. A reusable glass cup good for my hormones, good for the environment, and also much more pleasant to drink from. I have to wash it from time to time, which some people may find it inconvenient, as it is a lot easier to fill a plastic cup with water, drink it and throw it in the garbage.