Where there's smoke, there's fire. In the case of diesel trucks and conservatives, there are coal rollers are in the area.
Coal rollers are essentially truck owners who get their diesel machines rigged to intentionally emit large plumes of black smoke. The bigger and blacker the smoke is, the better. This activity is called rolling coal and it is meant to be a political statement, a means of sticking it to President Obama and the liberals. The Slate's David Weigel attributes it to the use-it-before-liberals-ban-it instinct, much like how conservatives stockpile guns and ammunition after a shooting incident for fear that liberals will take advantage of the opportunity to ban guns.
Rolling coal is not new but it flew under the radar fairly well. In fact, before February 2011, the Business Insider writes that "rolling coal" was virtually unheard of. When a site ran a feature on rolling coal, Internet search volume for the term just skyrocketed.
It's gained popularity, spawning memes and forum wars, but what is rolling coal? How is it achieved?
Depending on the kind of work that needs to be done, modifications on a truck can cost anywhere between $500 and $5,000. The modification works by tricking the truck's engine that it requires more fuel. As it revs up to get what it needs, the engine produces a massive cloud of black soot (fondly referred to as "Prius repellent" by coal rollers) and rolling coal is achieved. Smokestacks may also be installed on trucks for better soot dispersion.
For all the flak it's getting from the liberals, rolling coal is legal. There is no law that criminalizes spewing out toxic smoke. What is illegal is the removal of particulate filters. Removing particulate filters is not necessarily a part of turning a truck into a coal-rolling machine, but many coal rollers do so to help improve their mileage, going from 10 to 12 miles on a gallon to 20 mpg. Edge, a Utah company, was slapped with a $500,000 fine for selling devices that allowed particulate filters to be removed on diesel trucks.
Other things many conservatives have issues with? Calorie labeling, mandatory exercise and even Earth Hour. In fact, Human Achievement Hour was started by the Competitive Enterprise Institute specifically to counter Earth Hour, telling people to keep the lights on for the very same 60 minutes that Earth Hour is happening. Doughnut Day, where you have to eat two donuts to participate, also exists to show patriotic civil disobedience.
