““Over the last year I’ve noticed that a surprising amount of Americans hate one or the other. I have a theory: solar panels and natural gas are totems. In anthropology, a “totem” is a symbol that serves as an emblem for a group of people. In our country, affiliation to one technology or the other quickly signifies your political tribe. In short, Republicans like things which explode and make loud noises (gas, petroleum, bombs) and Democrats like things which are techy, eco-friendly and generally don’t work very well (solar panels, wind power, automobiles powered by “hope”).””
