“Green” Fascism Starts with Bath Time

David Horowitz's NewsReal Blog ^ | July 26, 2010 | David Kaplan

[HorowitzianConservative]

The Department of Energy, led by Barry Obama and DOE head Steven Chu, has decided that taking a nice, long shower is a waste of energy - and therefore should be regulated. In a move that is tantamount to an invasion of privacy, manufacturers may not meet a customer's demand for an inefficient,  water-guzzling shower head. Failure to meet the 2.5 gallon per minute restriction can result in substantial fines to manufacturers (and, of course, higher costs for consumers). The fact that hot showers and baths have been shown to be effective and cheap psychological therapy - which, of course, can result in  billions of dollars in savings on medical and business related expenses - seems lost on these green fascists. I know it's a small thing, but where does it end?

According to DOE lawyer Scott Blake Harris,

Did Congress limit consumer choice? Absolutely, when you waste water, you waste energy. Each multi-head shower fixture uses an extra 40 to 80 thermal units of energy per year, equivalent to 50 gallons of gasoline, or one barrel of oil.

Now, last time I checked, condoms were petroleum based products, too. Perhaps Obama and the DOE would like us to only have sex once per fiscal quarter? That may be a lot for less-than-desirable guys like Harris and Chu, but I think the rest of the general public would have a problem with it.

[HorowitzianConservative]

At the heart of every so-called "liberal" is a fascist.

[Oberon]

No sweat... I’ll just have a shower with three shower heads in it. I can plumb them in parallel. :D

[Skepolitic]

I know it's a small thing, but where does it end?

There is no end in sight.

[barbarianbabs]

I’ll bet the obamaclan takes long showers on their many vacations.

[Skepolitic]

I’ll just have a shower with three shower heads in it.

I'd wager that Al Gore has just such a shower. Wouldn't be surprised if Dr. Chu has one too.

[tet68]

50 gallons of gasoline, or one barrel of oil.

I don’t believe you can get fifty gallons of gasolene
from a barrel of oil.

Any one know?

[screaminsunshine]

It will make it awful smelly as their minions ow workers unite and march arm in arm to the future socialist Utopia...Phew!

[oneamericanvoice]

I’m with you! And I’ll stay in there longer! Next they’ll be putting mandatory timers in our bathrooms.

Stand up! Speak out!

[Egg]

Looks like we'll have to buy shower heads like we have to buy "illegal" weapons-- piece by piece.

This isn't a solution, mind you. A solution is having a government that is limited by the constitution.

[Billthedrill]

About 20 gallons of gasoline from a 42-gallon barrel of crude. The rest is other distillates. SOURCE

[Flash Bazbeaux]

50 gallons of gasoline, or one barrel of oil.

I don’t believe you can get fifty gallons of gasolene
from a barrel of oil.

Any one know?

I’ve heard stories of oil wells in Texas that produced such light, sweet crude . . . oohhhh, crude . . . . that you could put it right into your gas tank, and a guy used to do so during WWII to get around rationing. But I’m not sure I believe it.

[benewton]

You know, given my age and the way things appear to be going, I’m only going to ask for government identification before I open fire. I don’t want to hit the innocent.

[corkoman]

50 gallons of gasoline, or one barrel of oil. I don’t believe you can get fifty gallons of gasolene from a barrel of oil. Any one know?

I know this one.

No - beacuse a barrel is 44 gallons.

A drum is 55 gallons.

I got one finally.

[pnh102]

You would think water companies would want everyone to use tons of water. If anything it would mean more money for them.

Me personally, I am beyond cheap. I try to take 5 minute showers, even if it means stopping the water to limit my usage. I plan to install high-force low-flow toilets as soon as I can to cut back on the water used (and more expensively, the sewer fees charged) for flushing each of my old 3.6 gallon toilets.

Of course, my motivations for doing this have nothing to do with "saving" the planet... I just hate spending money on utilities.

[corkoman]

ugh. 42

[tet68]

Thanks All.

Another instance of liberals using examples that
make no sense.

[rfreedom4u]

Perhaps Obama and the DOE would like us to only have sex once per fiscal quarter?

Will we exclude all the sex we get from the government as they are screwing us on a regular basis?

[stockpirate]

I just freaking love my water saving toilet......Now instead of flushing once and using maybe 4 gallons, I flush 2-3 times.

[TASMANIANRED]

Now you know why hippies smell so bad.

[USFRIENDINVICTORIA]

This sort of regulation is not only “green fascism”; it's also a very blunt instrument, for achieving (purported) objectives.

There are several ways to have a hot shower, without “wasting” energy. For instance, in the right climate, a roof-top solar water heater could provide more than enough water for the purpose. Another alternative is a heat-recovery unit on the drain pipe. There's clearly no rationale for regulating the shower head, in these situations. (Not that there are any situations, where the regulation is justified.)