--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: And my car back then, a Studebaker as I…" description: "\"“And my car back then, a Studebaker as I recall, was powered, as are most of all means of transportation and other machinery today, and electric power ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2fe/kurt-vonnegut-41_climate_and-my-car-back-then-a-studebaker-as-i-r_2620216.jpg" --- # And my car back then, a Studebaker as I recall, was… ![“And my car back then, a Studebaker as I recall, was powered, as are most of all means of transportation and other machinery today, and electric power plants and furnaces, by the most abused, addictive, and destructive drugs of all: fossil fuels. When you got here, even when I got here, the…” quote by Kurt Vonnegut](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2fe/kurt-vonnegut-41_climate_and-my-car-back-then-a-studebaker-as-i-r_2620216.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2fe/kurt-vonnegut-41_climate_and-my-car-back-then-a-studebaker-as-i-r_2620216.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2fe/kurt-vonnegut-41_climate_and-my-car-back-then-a-studebaker-as-i-r_2620216.jpg) > ““And my car back then, a Studebaker as I recall, was powered, as are most of all means of transportation and other machinery today, and electric power plants and furnaces, by the most abused, addictive, and destructive drugs of all: fossil fuels. When you got here, even when I got here, the industrialized world was already hopelessly hooked on fossil fuels, and very soon now there won't be any left. Cold turkey. Can I tell you the truth? I mean this isn't the TV news is it? Here's what I think the truth is: We are all addicts of fossil fuels in a state of denial. And like so many addicts about to face cold turkey, our leaders are now committing violent crimes to get what little is left of what we're hooked on.”” [Kurt Vonnegut](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kurt-vonnegut/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Society is addicted to fossil fuels, denying the problem while leaders resort to extreme measures to maintain supply. **In simple terms:** We’re addicted to fossil fuels and in denial. Key Takeaway Recognize and address energy addiction. Themes environment energy addiction Mood urgent concerned Type environmental political When to use this quote - policy debates - corporate strategy - personal consumption Key Concepts sustainability denial political crisis Questions to Reflect On - What steps can reduce our fuel dependence? - How can societies transition responsibly? A Different Perspective May be hyperbolic or alarmist. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Addicts Fossil](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/addicts-fossil-1673208/) [Climate](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/climate/) [Cold turkey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cold-turkey/) [Fossil fuel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fossil-fuel/) [Fossil fuels](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fossil-fuels/) [Fuels Soon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fuels-soon-2104271/) [Fuels State](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fuels-state-2104272/) [Power plant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/power-plant/) [Tv news](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/tv-news/) ## Related quotes > [Here's what I think the truth is: We are all addicts of fossil fuels in a state of denial, about to face cold turkey.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kurt-vonnegut/here-s-what-i-think-the-truth-is-we-are-all-addicts-of-fossil-fuels/) [Kurt Vonnegut](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kurt-vonnegut/) > [“Can I tell you the truth? I mean this isn’t the TV news is it? Here's what I think the truth is: We are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kurt-vonnegut/can-i-tell-you-the-truth-i-mean-this-isn-t-the-tv-news-is-it-here-s/) [Kurt Vonnegut](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kurt-vonnegut/) > [“Here's what I think the truth is: We are all addicts of fossil fuels in a state of denial. And like so many addicts…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kurt-vonnegut/here-s-what-i-think-the-truth-is-we-are-all-addicts-of-fossil-fuels-2/) [Kurt Vonnegut](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kurt-vonnegut/) > [Here's what I think the truth is: We are all addicts of fossil fuels in a state of denial, about to face cold turkey.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kurt-vonnegut/here-s-what-i-think-the-truth-is-we-are-all-addicts-of-fossil-fuels-3/) [Kurt Vonnegut](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kurt-vonnegut/) > [“We need to stop using fossil fuels as soon as possible. Unfortunately, the two leading replacements of wind and solar have emerging health and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-magee/we-need-to-stop-using-fossil-fuels-as-soon-as-possible-unfortunately/) [Steven Magee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-magee/) > [Even if nonpolluting power were feasible and abundant, the use of energy on a massive scale acts on society like a drug that is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ivan-illich/even-if-nonpolluting-power-were-feasible-and-abundant-the-use-of/) [Ivan Illich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ivan-illich/) > [“Give up smoking cold turkey. Start a diet in the next 5 min. Accept that job right away. Life can be beautiful without planning!”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rossana-condoleo/give-up-smoking-cold-turkey-start-a-diet-in-the-next-5-min-accept/) [Rossana Condoleo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rossana-condoleo/) > [Under a cold turkey strategy, at each policy meeting the Federal Open Market Committee would make its best guess about where it ultimately wants…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-bernanke/under-a-cold-turkey-strategy-at-each-policy-meeting-the-federal-open/) [Ben Bernanke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-bernanke/) > [But there is no withdrawal, but with tobacco there is terrible withdrawal, it is almost impossible for a lot of people. I did ,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/larry-hagman/but-there-is-no-withdrawal-but-with-tobacco-there-is-terrible/) [Larry Hagman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/larry-hagman/) > [He was addicted to me and now he has gone cold turkey. He used to send me fifty texts a day. And now he…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emma-forrest/he-was-addicted-to-me-and-now-he-has-gone-cold-turkey-he-used-to-send/) [Emma Forrest](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emma-forrest/) > [“He either had to stop making me flustered as hell, or I had to quit the Cap’n Crunch. Could a grown man go cold…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sloan-parker/he-either-had-to-stop-making-me-flustered-as-hell-or-i-had-to-quit/) [Sloan Parker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sloan-parker/) > [The smartest thing I did was to stop going online. I'm the sort of person who will just look for the negative - Michael…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/catherine-zeta-jones/the-smartest-thing-i-did-was-to-stop-going-online-i-m-the-sort-of/) [Catherine Zeta-Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/catherine-zeta-jones/) > [“I was coming down off the last painkiller left in my dresser drawer after Autumn tossed my stash. In that moment I was so…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachel-cohn/i-was-coming-down-off-the-last-painkiller-left-in-my-dresser-drawer/) [Rachel Cohn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachel-cohn/) > [First, educate yourself about what a vegan diet entails and why it is beneficial to your health. You need to understand and embrace the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gary-player/first-educate-yourself-about-what-a-vegan-diet-entails-and-why-it-is/) [Gary Player](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gary-player/) > [“Crashing from love is worse than crashing from pot, or LSD, or going cold turkey from heroin. Nobody should be allowed to do love.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/doug-shear/crashing-from-love-is-worse-than-crashing-from-pot-or-lsd-or-going/) [Doug Shear](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/doug-shear/) ## More by Kurt Vonnegut > [“You must bloom as a writer and I must bloom as a painter. Everything else about us is uninteresting.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kurt-vonnegut/you-must-bloom-as-a-writer-and-i-must-bloom-as-a-painter-everything/) [Kurt Vonnegut](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kurt-vonnegut/) > [“People aren't supposed to look back.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kurt-vonnegut/people-aren-t-supposed-to-look-back/) [Kurt Vonnegut](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kurt-vonnegut/) > [“Have a good nap, did you?” said the porter. “Yes,” said Billy. “Man,” said the porter, “you sure had a hard-on.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kurt-vonnegut/have-a-good-nap-did-you-said-the-porter-yes-said-billy-man-said-the/) [Kurt Vonnegut](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kurt-vonnegut/) > [“I told him that if we doubted that we are demons in Hell, he should read The Mysterious Stranger, which Mark Twain wrote in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kurt-vonnegut/i-told-him-that-if-we-doubted-that-we-are-demons-in-hell-he-should/) [Kurt Vonnegut](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kurt-vonnegut/) > [ “Thomas Jefferson High School \[..\] His high school was named after a slave owner who was also one of the world’s greatest theoreticians on… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kurt-vonnegut/thomas-jefferson-high-school-his-high-school-was-named-after-a-slave/) [Kurt Vonnegut](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kurt-vonnegut/) > [“I had a certain amount of skill as a dramatist, and Dr. Goebbels wanted me to use it”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kurt-vonnegut/i-had-a-certain-amount-of-skill-as-a-dramatist-and-dr-goebbels-wanted/) [Kurt Vonnegut](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kurt-vonnegut/) > [I was some of the mud that got to sit up and look around. Lucky me, lucky mud.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kurt-vonnegut/i-was-some-of-the-mud-that-got-to-sit-up-and-look-around-lucky-me/) [Kurt Vonnegut](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kurt-vonnegut/) > [“The town was Newport, Rhode Island, U.S.A., Earth, Solar System, Milky Way.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kurt-vonnegut/the-town-was-newport-rhode-island-u-s-a-earth-solar-system-milky-way/) [Kurt Vonnegut](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kurt-vonnegut/) > [“Her face was one of a kind, a surprising variation that made observers think, Yes--that would be another very nice way for people to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kurt-vonnegut/her-face-was-one-of-a-kind-a-surprising-variation-that-made-observers/) [Kurt Vonnegut](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kurt-vonnegut/) > [“You finally fell in love, I see,” said Salo. “Only an Earthling year ago,” said Constant. “It took us that long to realize that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kurt-vonnegut/you-finally-fell-in-love-i-see-said-salo-only-an-earthling-year-ago/) [Kurt Vonnegut](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kurt-vonnegut/) > [“Like all Earthlings at the point of death, Mary Young sent faint reminders of herself to those who had known her. 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