Maria McClory, 38, drove 10 miles out of her way to buy a diet soda from Pollack’s station after seeing local television coverage of the protest.

“I just wanted to support them and thank them for making a statement,” said McClory, who drives about 100 miles a day for work in her sport utility vehicle.

Have we just completely lost the ability to put two and two together? We’re fucked.

Okay, so I spent nine days on the West Coast, starting in Los Angeles, Pasadena, actually. Let’s just say that part of the United States is absolutely hopeless. It consists largely of a roadway hierarchy and whatever’s left is apportioned to valet parking. It has no future. The poor oblivious denizens of the place don’t question their predicament. The whole sordid scene is, well, tragic, and I’m sorry, but let’s pass over it for now.

What part of Pasadena was Kunstler hanging out in? I’ve worked in Pasadena for a year and a half now, and I just moved here a couple of months ago. While i guess it does “consist largely of a roadway hierarchy” (uh, like every other American city?), I’d say the denizens are a hell of a lot less oblivious than anywhere else I’ve lived. I see dozens of other cyclists on my daily commute taking advantage of the bike lanes all over the city. Everyone in my neighborhood walks to the grocery store. I live a mile away from Caltech, where people are actually working on energy problems. My company shares space with a solar energy company that’s (supposedly) making real progress on the renewable energy front.

Anyway I realize the guy hates Southern California, but Pasadena seems a lot more with it than the rest of the region.

It’s tempting to think that minor lifestyle changes are going to allow us to keep driving forever. But even if everyone switches to hybrids tomorrow, we’re still in trouble.

This is something i have a lot of anxiety about.