As we have all witnessed over the past few years, it isn’t until the cost of gasoline starts taking food out of our children’s mouths that Americans start thinking about changing their attitude towards energy consumption. Bigger homes, bigger cars, bigger lifestyles and higher energy prices have put the squeeze on all of us. Politicians have offered a solution. We’ve heard the cries for a 3 month holiday on the federal gas tax. What a joke! Merely, pandering for votes! Come on, we’re smarter than that! A gas tax holiday may help Americans in the short term, but it is not a solution to America’s problem. Our problem is that America is addicted to oil and a good percentage of that oil comes from foreign sources; sources that can charge whatever they want because we will pay. For once I agree with President Bush’s assessment that there is no quick fix to our energy problems. We are far from helpless, though. The solution is two part. Part one: the federal government must invest in domestic renewable sources of energy, like water, wind, solar, and bio-fuel and pass fuel efficiency laws. Part two: Americans need to become more energy conscious because there is a lot each and every one of us can do to reduce our energy needs. Working hand in hand, there is no reason America should not be able to meet its own energy demands while at the same time becoming greener and keeping more money where it belongs, in our back pocket.
Starting Monday and over the following nine days I will offer common sense solutions in daily installments to the West Fork Blues outlining ways Americans can incorporate good energy habits into their lives. You will find that some suggestions are expensive or ask for drastic changes to your lifestyle, but most are things that every American can easily incorporate into their daily routine and cost nothing more than a little convenience. Let’s all try and do our part to make America more energy independent. Think of it as your patriotic duty.
2 comments:
Here is an awesome idea for returnable envelopes that I ran across. I love these simple ideas everyone can understand.
http://climate.weather.com/video/?clip=10093
I am looking forward to your following posts. I am curious how many points I will be able to follow. It is sad to see all of energy saving practices that americans/others could simply institute, but because we were brought up lazy we do not. Anything from leaving lights on in our houses (even more annoying are the skyscrapers that have lights on all through the night). Or idiot store owners who think it is a brilliant idea to attract customers on a hot day by blasting there A/C through open front doors. There are tons of these types of examples that need to be taught to children at a young age so that it becomes second nature. I must say I waste my share of energy by running my laptop 24 hrs/day, leave the TV on for my dog during the day, and take long showers, among many things... Just something to show everyone has something to change. I am sadly glad that oil prices skyrocketed so that thick headed americans can get it through their skull that we need to conserve the finite amount of energy resources we have on this planet. And, as you already mentioned, the government needs to pump huge amounts of money into renewable resources. Make it a mission like the Manhattan Project or the Space Race.... Keep it coming Mr. Woods.
Post a Comment