Originally Posted by
Ekdog
I don't understand your post. Are you no longer concerned about the environment? Are oil wars OK with you now?
Have your motivations really changed or have you just gone over to a newer, hipper terminology?
"Elegant"? That's an adjective that's often used in ads for cars.
A while back I read an essay by Dave Owen in which he pointed out that the average New Yorker consumes -- without considering themselves "green" or "eco-friendly" -- a lot less than any other population segment in North America, including many who have established themselves in "green" environments (for example, energy efficient housing or organic farms). For example, a green activity might entail purchasing local produce at a Farmer's Market. However, if looked at closely, procurement and purchase involves a lot of gasoline transportation. A New Yorker might instead purchase at a local market because it is simply closer.
The walk to the local market is an "elegant" solution.
The term elegant is described rather nicely
here. I'm particularly impressed with engineering "elegance"
In engineering, a solution may be considered elegant if it uses a non-obvious method to produce a solution which is highly effective and simple. An elegant solution may solve multiple problems at once, especially problems not thought to be inter-related.[5]