Dave, with all due respect, I would point out that cars, or by extension all motor vehicles, are, in fact, needed, at least to maintain the world as we now know it. For proof I ask you to imagine what would happen if all motorized vehicles were suddenly, magically turned into bicycles, and the use of motorized vehicles was globally prohibited. I think you will agree, the world economy would quickly collapse, anarchy would ensue, followed by war, famine, and untold misery for the world population. If this is not clear to you, do a little research; I think you’ll find it’s quite accurate.
If, on the other hand, all Hot Yoga studios were suddenly, magically turned into conventional yoga studios, and Hot Yoga were prohibited, there would be no effect whatsoever on the world at large. The only people affected would be the practitioners of Hot Yoga, who would soon discover that, indeed, ridiculously high temperatures are not needed to practice and enjoy yoga.
As for those who protest drilling for gas (I think you are referring to “fracking”) but themselves use gas to heat their homes, I don’t see how it helps your argument to point it out. All that does is point out that some people are hypocrites. But I never said proponents of Hot Yoga are hypocrites; I said they are wasteful. As for China, Vietnam, etc. using energy resources in a wasteful way, that is something that the world should be very worried about and should try to address. But I’m not talking about those issues, I’m talking about Hot Yoga, and asking you as a promoter and practitioner of Hot Yoga to think about your own behavior and how it effects our environment.
Consider the idea of conservationism, Dave; the idea that we should be careful and cautious with natural resources so as to reduce the impact of their use on the environment and to save them for future use. Conservationism is a science of degrees. It recognizes that the use of resources, while necessary, is not a black and white proposition. Resources can be squandered or they can be used sparingly. Needless to say, the latter is preferable. I don’t think I need to expound too much on this concept as it is widely known and understood. I can’t imagine you are not familiar with it. And yet, you frame your argument as though it is utterly irrelevant to you. To sum your argument, you seem to be saying:
I enjoy Hot Yoga; other people are wasteful and hypocritical, so it’s ok for me to be the same way.
You bring up the issue of cars and of home heating to sure up your position. But when seen in the light of conservationism, that position melts away. How? Simply because of the untold efforts on the part of the public and private sector for the last 50 years or more to move toward technologies that support conservationism. The advent of the hybrid car and the use of solar energy are two outcomes of this movement. But unless Hot Yoga studios all take advantage of these technologies, which they absolutely do not, then they are working contrary to efforts at conservationism, exactly like the huge SUVs that have become so popular in recent years and the ridiculously huge houses that have come into style among the newly rich. As the owner of a Hot Yoga studio, you are part of this movement toward excessive and conspicuous consumption that can only be adding to and exacerbating an already very bad situation. And you tell me you don’t care. You love Hot Yoga, so it’s ok. That’s a very sad statement to be coming from a practitioner of yoga. Honestly, it boggles my mind that you can’t see it. It is almost heartbreaking to me as a lover of yoga and a lover of our planet. So, I ask you again, Dave, how do you justify this? How? Please explain, because your arguments up to now don’t hold water.
