The following is my best attempt to recreate a conversation
I listened in on over lunch. They were having some conversation
related to the environment/gas consumption/the middle east dependency
I'm inclined to think. I don't know for sure because I was tuning them out
until I heard "urban assault vehicle".

Dina: Well you can't talk ..... you drive one of those urban assault SUVs. How much mileage are you getting from that thing?

Dave: Actually its a pickup truck with a cap on the back.

Dina: Same difference........how many miles per gallon?

Dave: Probably about 14 mpg. Something like that.....

Dina: Ha! American overconsumption at its finest. Your indulgence
is not just harming the environment; you are also contributing to our
dependence on oil from the middle east.

Dave: No more so than you, I'm inclined to think.

Dina: Oh get out......

Dave: No really.......hear me out. I live about 15 miles from here
and its an easy drive through the backroads.
So figure about 1 gallon of gas to get me to work. Now...
what's your mileage?

Dina: About 30.

Dave: And how far is your commute?

Dina: About 40 miles.

Dave: Soooooooo you use about 1.33 gallons to get to work?
How do you figure that I'm using more?

Dina: Well the POINT is that you are using more than you really need to.
You could easily make do with something more efficient.

Dave: As could you..........

Dina: What?

Dave: Well for starters.....they DO make vehicles with better performance
than 30 mpg you know. So isn't this a little bit like a coke addict pouring disdain
on the crack addict?

Dina: I don't see your point

Dave: Well lets try something else. If you are soooo concerned about the environment
why don't you live closer to work?

Dina: Don't be ridiculous. The decision about where to live is many orders of magnitude more
important than what car to drive.

Dave: To YOU it might be. Not so for all of us.

Dina: You are comparing apples and oranges. You could switch to a different vehicle any time you like.

Dave: And...you..... could move anytime you like.........right?
What's keeping you where you are now?

Dina: Well for starters we couldn't possibly afford a home anywhere closer to work.

Dave: Ahhhhhhhh wait a second.......don't you mean you couldn't afford a 4 bedroom
colonial with an acre or more land......

Dina: Well I *need* a house like that.

Dave: Explain why your need for a house like that trumps my need for a pickup truck?

Dina: You're being absurd again.

Dave: No I'm serious......you are using more gasoline in real terms than me.....but somehow
you think you are justified in giving me shit about consumption.

Dina: But buying a vehicle is so much easier than moving house. You can make your contribution
to the well being of this country RIGHT NOW by just driving a different vehicle.

Dave: And you could move.

Dina: There you go again......its so not the same kind of decision.

Dave: Its not the kind of the decision which is at issue.....its how readily it can be performed.
The fact that moving house generates more inconvenience shouldn't matter if you are truly as
dedicated to your cause as you say you are.

Dina: I think you are stretching this beyond the realm of reasonablesness.

Dave: Answer me this......how many different cars have you owned since you learned to drive?

Dina: Three

Dave: And how many places have you lived in since that time?

Dina: Five.

Dave: See my point?

Dina: Oh for God's sake. I *needed* to move. I didn't *need* to buy a new car and that's why
it has happened less often.

Dave: Now your saying you don't even *need* your car?

Dina: No that's NOT what I'm saying. What I am saying is that the forces which make me purchase
a vehicle are not the same ones which make me move home. Moving home is a BIG deal. Buying
a vehicle is less so.

Dave: For you maybe.......but not for me.

Dina: Oh come on......

Dave: I'm serious ...... I rent and I have moved every 2 years or so since I graduated.
Its no big deal for me.....I don't own a lot of shit and I can move pretty easily.

Dina: Well then you are a special case.........its not like that for everyone you know!

Dave: You mean......by owning a lot of shit it becomes harder to move and therefore
harder to do the right thing vis-a-vis fuel consumption?

Dina: Exactly!

Dave: Why don't you sell all your shit?

Dina: Are you serious? I own stuff because I *need* it.

Dave: You don't *need* anything.

Dina: S'cuse me?

Dave: Almost everything you own you do so because you *like* to have it. It starts
with your house and ends with things like your coffee maker and DVD collection.

Dina: Okay fine......so tell me what that has to do with anything?

Dave: Its simple.....I *like* to have a pickup truck........

Dina: Look......clearly if you're not going to be rational about this then we won't get anywhere.

Dave: I'm being very rational. What I was going to say was that not only do I *like* my pickup
I *need* to have one.

Dina: Okay tell me why.

Dave: If I shoot a deer...I need to get it home.

Dina: You don't NEED to shoot a deer.

Dave: I do if I'm going to call myself a hunter.

Dina: But you don't need to hunt. Its a lifestyle choice.

Dave: Like..... erm.... you going in on a ski house with your freinds.

Dina: What?

Dave: Bye the way ......where IS your ski house? How many miles away is it?

Dina: What's that got to do with anyting?....... About 200 miles.

Dave: 400 miles roundtrip?

Dina: Yes.

Dave: How often?

Dina: About ten times in a typical winter.

Dave: You're amazing...............

Dina: How so?

Dave: You are prepared to tell me that I don't HAVE to hunt.....but you on the other
hand can justify the need to ski?

Dina: What's wrong with skiing?

Dave: The gasoline to get there. The oil to heat the ski house. The outdoor hot tub in the ski house.
Intentionally driving to a colder place when you KNOW its going to take more fuel to remain warm.

Dina: But these are all just reasonably justifiable consequences if you happen to love skiing.

Dave: As is less efficient consumption if you happen to love pick up trucks with a big engine.

Dina: But I use far less gasoline than your truck would.

Dave: That's not the point. I DON'T do that drive to ski country. Do I?

Dina: Yes but if you DID........your truck is a gas hog.

Dave: So now you are blaming me for hypothetical consumption of gasoline in a
scenario which never has happened and most likely never will?

Dina: No that's not what I am saying.

Dave: Explain it to me again then.

Dina: You are making a *conscious* choice to use more gasoline.

Dave: So are you.

Dina: Its not the same. Your increased fuel consumption is a *primary* effect of your decision to drive
your truck. My increased fuel consumption is a secondary effect over which I have no control.

Dave: Why don't you just NOT GO?

Dina: For the same reason that you choose not to just stop driving your pickup.

Dave: Wait a second........I'm not presenting myself as holier than thou. You're the one
who thinks they are a saint. I don't have to defend myself.

Dina: Yes, but you *are* being defensive aren't you?

Dave: Not really......I'm just trying to point out that your initial assumption about
me being more responsible for the over consumption of gas.......was in fact...flawed.
It turns out that you actually use more than me.

Dina: Well.....in real terms, yes. But.......it still remains that *you* could do more to reduce your
consumption than I could.

Dave: What's with the real terms distinction? You use more than me!

Dina: Right! But its the *intent* which matters. I don't intend to use more gasoline. I just happen to.

Dave: I don't intend to use more gasoline! It just happens to be a side effect of having a bigger engine.

Dina: But you can lower the consumption so easily. I can't.

Dave: Because............you won't move house.....and you won't give up skiing?

Dina: Right!