Earth Day Message | Green Energy News

April 22, 2007 – Vol.12 No.5

EARTH DAY MESSAGE.

It’s a beautiful Earth Day here in Maryland. The sky is cloudless and bright blue. The air is warm, the birds singing, flowers blossoming, trees greener.

Yet I’m worried and frightened. I sometimes lie awake at night thinking about solutions to climate change and our over-dependence on imported oil. As much as Corporate America and Capitol Hill have generally caught on to these pressing problems, only a relatively few individuals and small businesses have done so.

Everyone needs to participate and to do so leadership is needed from the bottom up and the top down. Heads of households need to convince families that conserving energy is a good and necessary thing. Churches and civic organizations need to convince parishioners and members that the future of our nation, the future of the whole world, may hinge on actions we take today.

Further I don’t see our political leaders giving us the full story on our oil dependence or climate change.

There’s talk about pulling out of Iraq and the mayhem that could likely follow. But there’s little mention of exactly what would take place globally: the price of oil would skyrocket with the possibility that the conflict would spread throughout the region. Just how would the world’s economies, particularly the US, deal with extraordinary prices at the pump?

And, as much as the White House talks of winning the war, I can’t envision any scenario where insurgent Sunni, Shia and Kurds drop their hostilities meet with open arms, handshakes and hugs and agree to live in peace. I can’t see any opportunity either where any of them would suddenly decide that the occupying Americans were the good guys.

On climate change leaders now seem to recognize that global warming is happening, it’s us and that some flooding of low areas will be expected due to rising oceans. A few mention what happens when the people are forced to leave. But aside the problems of migration, what happens to everything that has been built?

Try to imagine Lower Manhattan - the home of the destroyed on 9/11 World Trade Center - abandoned and flooded with skyscrapers slowly falling down one by one as their foundations and lower floors crumble and corrode in sea water.

Imagine the Lincoln Memorial in Washington in the middle of a spreading Potomac River.

Think of all the beautiful beaches of the world - that nature took thousands of years to build - being suddenly gone over the span of few decades with only the pilings of washed away sea front homes sticking out of the water. Not a pretty sight.

Most frightening of all is what appears to be the attitude among so many Americans: Somebody will think of something to save us, thus put off any action until that time which could come, but may never. Action needs to be taken now, by ourselves and our leaders, now, not years from now. Little actions need to be encouraged. Shut off some lights. Drive slower.

Me, I need a little food for the fridge. I’ll think I’ll take advantage of this glorious Earth Day and walk the mile and a half to the store. I'll enjoy the day, but I’ll keep worrying.

Bruce Mulliken
Editor and Publisher
Green Energy News Inc.