Friday, June 20, 2008

Can't we all just conserve?

My top ten list of things we, as a nation, try to ignore but can't:

10. Brittany Spears

9. Our mothers

8. Spam

7. Politicians

6. Radios playing too loudly in cars

5. Complaining teenagers

4. Bad news

3. Climate change

2. Water shortages

1. Gas prices

OK, maybe we can't ignore many of those, especially items 1-4, but we sure do have our heads in the sand about them. In the last two days, I've read very enlightening articles by two Jacksonville citizens on the impact of ignoring critical issues, both of which relate to the biggies on the list.

First, from Professor Al Tilley at the University of North Florida. Professor Tilley has arguably done more to educate North Florida on the challenges of climate change than anyone else in this area. One of the many actions he takes is to coordinate information and articles for dissemination to his e-mail list. Today I received the following commentary from him:

"The Bush-McCain proposal to open new areas for oil exploration and to process oil shale is not at base wrong because it won't drop the price of gas much or soon (though it won't), or because it panders to public ignorance (though it does), or because it is a giveaway to oil companies who are already exploiting little of the resources now available (though it is). It is fundamentally wrong because it attacks the wrong problem. Our concern now is to move towards zero greenhouse gas emissions as soon as possible, and it trumps all other concerns. I have not seen that obvious point made, even in the following prominent discussions. We should not speak as if the problem were to end dependence on foreign oil. Our own is as bad. "

That last line was an eye-opener. He's absolutely right. Should we take aggressive measures to fuel our consumptive way of life? Or should we (and I know this is utterly outre') just use less?

I know. It's sadly laughable, isn't it?

He added the following weblink with an article from the LA Times. http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/washingtondc/la-na-campaign18-2008jun18,0,7455120.story

The next eye-opener I received is from Rob Overly, architect, and world-changer. :-) He made the following point:

"Abu Dhabi and Dubai, two regions in the United Arab Emirates that are “floating in oil”, are also in the news. Both are building cities that are striving for a zero carbon footprint: Masdar City in Abu Dhabi and EcoStar in Dubai. Having a “zero carbon footprint” implies that among other things fossil fuels such as oil will not be used to provide energy, including transportation.

Interesting contrast: a region that sits on one of the world’s largest oil reserves is investing in a future without oil while a country that relies mainly on foreign oil to run its petroleum-based economy is turning to drilling off the coast of Florida to gain two and a half more years of oil consumption at current rates."

You can read more of his thoughts in Tuesday's Times Union who immediately picked up this Op Ed piece and will be leading with it. Thank goodness.

So, what's your breaking point? How high will gas prices need to be before you will consider public transportation? How much will a gallon of milk run before you consider growing a vegetable in your own backyard? What will your electricity bill be before you hang some clothes out to dry?

When you set your own "That's it, I need to cut back" goal, remember that there's already someone out there that hit their threshold a while back and has jumped on the conservation track. (They've been crossing their fingers for you).

But, remember there's also someone else willing to wait it out a little longer. And they will readily vote to eke a little more oil out of a precious natural resource to get it.

Don't be that person.

As they say over at Despair.com, None of us is as dumb as all of us. When we all collectively get together and pursue a bad idea, there's no end to what we can't do. If we all hang on to hope that we can sustain a wasteful lifestyle, we will find ourselves coming up with irrational idea after irrational idea to maintain it. Conversely, if we gather our forces, and our intellect, to embrace conservation and true sustainability, we can make it happen.

So, conserve. Cut back. Sacrifice a bit. Let's not ignore the problem, but embrace the obvious solution.