AMERICA NEEDS AN OIL DIET
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We all know what we're supposed to eat. Leafy greens, whole grains...fruits, veggies - all that "rabbit food." But somewhere between our brain and our breakfast, our whole grain cereal magically transforms into a donut and coffee.
Americans are currently bringing the same creative sense of discipline we bring to our diets to our energy policy. We all know what we'd LIKE to see happen - for one, we'd like greater energy independence, refusing to allow our foreign policy to be dictated by our petroleum addiction. We'd like energy to be from clean sources, exploring alternatives like wind, solar, hydroelectric, or geothermal. And we'd also like to see oil executives stop lying to us that prices are high because "times are tough" while they continue to pocket obscene profits, coddled all the while by politicians whose campaigns are essentially fueled by the same thing that fuels our cars - Big Oil.
Americans are chanting that it's time for a change! But is anyone listening?
And more importantly, is anyone changing?
Yes, the sluggish pace that Congress is taking to address our energy concerns is disturbing. Last week, Congress failed to address the energy crisis, gas prices, or solutions to the climate crisis, and also failed to renew the clean energy tax credits that support the solar and wind industries.
Some, perhaps, are pinning all their hopes on our next presidential election, feeling that fresh leadership will kick-start our journey towards a brighter energy future.
It very well may be. Certainly greenies on both sides of the aisle can agree that the Bush family, with its taproots deep in a pocket of petroleum, and its head firmly buried in the sand on global warming, was never going to lead the way. A new leader might be just what we need to unite and energize our politicians and our populace.
But that is precisely the point - no great change in our nation can stem from one person without a populist groundswell to support it. A lack of leadership is no excuse - absent an example, we must become our own. To quote one presidential candidate, "We are the ones we've been waiting for."
To stretch a metaphor, it's easy to profess up and down that you intend to lose weight. It's really difficult to drag yourself off the couch and go for a run. And it sometimes feels downright impossible to resist the sinful, alluring scent of sizzling hot french fries.
But the alluring scent of oil is one that we are going to have to learn, at least in part, to deny ourselves. And going green, like exercise, may not be as easy as sitting on the couch doing nothing. As a nation, however, it is our duty to ourselves and to each other to embrace the small steps that will preserve our natural resources, make us healthier, safer, and better world neighbors.
To learn more about the small steps you can take to go green, and what you can do to inspire change locally and nationally, visit www.wecansolveit.org.
We all know what we're supposed to eat. Leafy greens, whole grains...fruits, veggies - all that "rabbit food." But somewhere between our brain and our breakfast, our whole grain cereal magically transforms into a donut and coffee.
Americans are currently bringing the same creative sense of discipline we bring to our diets to our energy policy. We all know what we'd LIKE to see happen - for one, we'd like greater energy independence, refusing to allow our foreign policy to be dictated by our petroleum addiction. We'd like energy to be from clean sources, exploring alternatives like wind, solar, hydroelectric, or geothermal. And we'd also like to see oil executives stop lying to us that prices are high because "times are tough" while they continue to pocket obscene profits, coddled all the while by politicians whose campaigns are essentially fueled by the same thing that fuels our cars - Big Oil.
Americans are chanting that it's time for a change! But is anyone listening?
And more importantly, is anyone changing?
Yes, the sluggish pace that Congress is taking to address our energy concerns is disturbing. Last week, Congress failed to address the energy crisis, gas prices, or solutions to the climate crisis, and also failed to renew the clean energy tax credits that support the solar and wind industries.
Some, perhaps, are pinning all their hopes on our next presidential election, feeling that fresh leadership will kick-start our journey towards a brighter energy future.
It very well may be. Certainly greenies on both sides of the aisle can agree that the Bush family, with its taproots deep in a pocket of petroleum, and its head firmly buried in the sand on global warming, was never going to lead the way. A new leader might be just what we need to unite and energize our politicians and our populace.
But that is precisely the point - no great change in our nation can stem from one person without a populist groundswell to support it. A lack of leadership is no excuse - absent an example, we must become our own. To quote one presidential candidate, "We are the ones we've been waiting for."
To stretch a metaphor, it's easy to profess up and down that you intend to lose weight. It's really difficult to drag yourself off the couch and go for a run. And it sometimes feels downright impossible to resist the sinful, alluring scent of sizzling hot french fries.
But the alluring scent of oil is one that we are going to have to learn, at least in part, to deny ourselves. And going green, like exercise, may not be as easy as sitting on the couch doing nothing. As a nation, however, it is our duty to ourselves and to each other to embrace the small steps that will preserve our natural resources, make us healthier, safer, and better world neighbors.
To learn more about the small steps you can take to go green, and what you can do to inspire change locally and nationally, visit www.wecansolveit.org.