(Ed. Note: We received a variety of responses to my "Your Carbon Footprint" editorial in the June '07 issue.)
Reader: Thank you so much for enlightening me on my role as a citizen of planet Earth. I can now go on happily through my existence free from guilt or being conscience of anything outside of my personal world. What idiot dreamed up carbon footprint? Probably somebody with a background in science. Ever hear of it? As a four-wheeler and a human being, I am equally offended. Please place me on the list of those that will never pick up your magazine again, except for next month to see if you have the guts to print this.
Stuart (declined to give last name)
via 4wheeloffroad.com
Editor: Say what? Your response shows you didn't read the editorial. The point is that paying for carbon credits supposedly absolves you from wrong, and I believe that, in and of itself, is wrong! You must care about our environment. Do you want to wheel through a toxic waste dump or a nicely restored strip mine area? Scientist never dreamed up carbon credits; that's from those who want to get rich off the backs of well meaning but poorly informed individuals. Read on.
Reader: I have been a long-time reader, but I feel Rick Pw is idiotic in most everything he says in "Your Carbon Footprint." I understand that you all are very fearful for the health of your magazine, and with good reason. SUV and truck sales are way down, and 4x4 trucks are losing out to the new sporty high-mileage cars. Hell, as soon as gas hits $10 a gallon, which it will, Moab will go back to...well, being Moab instead of Disneyland for arrested development adults. Rick Pw's fears are all too transparent. Poor guy. But I must say, Rick is right about one thing. Why waste trees on paper? Please cancel my subscription.
Gene Rubin
via 4wheeloffroad.com
Editor: I'm glad you think I'm an idiot. It appears that you too have failed to read the editorial as a whole, and only concern yourself with excerpts. Poor guy. The health of the magazine has nothing to do with the editorial, and furthermore, our sales are up. And 4x4 truck sales are not losing out to sporty high-mileage cars; why would you buy one with high mileage anyway? Gas will hit $10 a gallon, but what does that mean? When gas was cheap the average wage was far less as well, so that argument also has nothing to do with the editorial. Finally, how does Moab and kids relate either? And yes, I passed your subscription cancellation request to our subscriber services department.
Reader: I've never felt compelled to write to your magazine until I read this month's 4xForward. I have always felt that you have done a great job of promoting the ideas of Tread Lightly! and environmental consciousness, but this month you blew it and let your true colors show. I will agree that the "carbon footprint" idea is radical and probably not practical for you and me who enjoy the sport of off-roading, but that doesn't mean we can't strive to reduce our impact on the environment. [Absolutely correct. We should always strive to show our best side and teach others-Ed.] 4-Wheel & Off-Road should be a leader in calling for environmental responsibility and instead I think you have just written a blank check for the bad apples of our sport to do their worst because according to you, the earth will "take care of any indiscretions long after we are wiped off the face of it." [I agree and believe we are the leader, but bad apples will always do their own thing-Ed.] Seriously? So it's OK to leave the oil from a busted pan on the trail now? [No way, as you surely realize we always promote trail cleanup. Even though a mess won't be around in a million years, I sure don't need to step in yours today.-Ed.] And as to your point that CO2 is actually good for the environment, so spew all we want; well, a lot of things are good in measured doses. People can die from ingesting too much water, you can kill fish by filling their bowl with milk. [Incorrect; I never suggested that we spew all we want. I was stating that believers of this mindless drivel of carbon credits believe they can spew to their hearts content because they paid for their filth to some company which may or may not plant a tree. We should strive to minimize our waste in any shape or form.-Ed.] You also state that greenhouse gases are thought by "some" to be connected to global warming. Would those "some" be the hundreds of climatologists from 113 countries, including the U.S., that just released a report at the beginning of February that says that man is "very likely" responsible for the abnormal warming of the earth? [Exactly my point. It is only a theory, and the only theory that the popular media and politicians even consider. It's popular so jump on the bandwagon.-Ed.] Even Bush has agreed we're responsible. [And that's a good thing?-Ed.] Through my anger I had to laugh when you said: "I'd feel better standing next to a diesel smokestack than the rearend of a team of oxen any day." That's just stupid. [Really? Have you done it? I have.-Ed.] The cards are on the table, and I think I really found the "brainwashed and shallow-minded" bluffer. Enjoy your harmless smog in SoCal and I'll keep enjoying your awesome mag.
Cale King
Roseburg, OR
Editor: Thanks for enjoying the mag, and thank you for writing a letter that at least we can have an intelligent discussion on, even though we may disagree.
Editor: Well, guys, I'm sorry you took the editorial the wrong way. As an aside, the letters ran 100 to 1 agreeing with me, with 10 percent of the agreeing parties being off track, as opposed to 80 percent of the negative letters not being able to complete a cognitive sentence or stay on track. Yes, I think that environmentally inane people who do not research the issues and don't think for themselves but instead follow the Pied Piper are doing themselves and this world a disservice. I've been an environmental activist and scientist for over 40 years, and have always put proper care of the environment in the forefront of all wheeling activities. No, I'm not an anti-access "greenie," but I do believe in taking care of the world for ourselves and future generations. We don't need to save the world, we simply need to take care of it, and save it from ourselves.