ecomorons.org

The issue: Suspiciously naive reporting about the most decadent, noisy and annoying way some Americans spend their spare time – driving off-road recreational vehicles
Seen in: Today’s L.A. Times; headline “Kicking Up Sand”
Tag line: “Side-by-side, UTV, MUV . . . whatever the name, they’re fun.”
What’s missing: The sentence “Burning gas for fun is wrong, you morons!”
The obvious explanation for the omission: Some evil off-road driver spiked staff writer Susan Carpenter’s drink on deadline day. And her editor’s, too…
We hope Ms Carpenter will get better soon.

Also, we recommend some reading material from the Sierra Club to speed up the recovery.

ORVs (off-road vehicles) emit large amounts of pollution, including carbon monoxide, hydrocarbons, and carcinogens such as benzene. The small, inefficient two-stroke engines of some of these machines spew out as much as 30 percent of their fuel unburned – polluting the soils, air, and water of our National Forests, National Parks, and other public lands.
(…)
Off-road vehicles are allowed on 93% of the 264 million acres managed by the Bureau of Land Management. Although ORV users represent only a small percentage of the total number of people recreating on public lands – they are having a disproportionately large and harmful impact. Since the roar of motors can be heard by people and wildlife miles away, these vehicles can ruin the experience for those who choose to experience the outdoors without motorized vehicles.

(photo: Backhouse Images)