Well, special thanks to my friends Sarah and Travis who replied to my entry about V8s. I am responding to Travis’ post below.

To read the original entry, click here

One of the points I was making was that our society has become incredibly more self-focused and just flat out selfish. It’s all about “me and my comfort.” Toss out the “55mph scenario” and plug-in real world realities. Regardless of how someone drives a V4 vs. a V8, the overwhelming majority of V8 owners will produce more emissions into the air and will require more fuel during the course of their ownership.

Mass transit could be part of the solution, but mass transit systems aren’t in place in many large US cities. KC for example has mass transit, but it’s not connected enough to get people from all over the suburbs into the city where they work.

As far as fining owners for modifying their cars, your question leads me to my final point. You can make the argument that as US citizens we have the right to choose what we do to our cars and what vehicles we ultimately choose to buy. The government however, has the responsibility to ensure the livelihood of the state…the “greater good” of its people as a whole. To ensure a certain quality of life and maintain the existence of our country for generations to come, we should fine owners. If you modify your vehicle or produce vehicles that don’t meat certain minimum emissions/MPG standards, you get hit hard.

Other countries understand this need. Many European countries require their citizens to have certain sized vehicles because of pollution, natural resources and space. In turn, their citizens comply and understand that these requirements aren’t stripping them of “their rights” but rather allowing for the continuation of their society. In essence, they are giving their children and their children’s children a better life.

The future of our nation and world depend on the reduction of our consumption of natural resources. Enforcing practical, reasonable MPG/emission requirements will not only lower our need for foreign oil, it will help to ensure the longevity of the US.

Feedback welcome!

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