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Why are politicians and the government doing nothing about renewable sources
of energy? Our economy is largely based on fossil fuels and it is
said around the world that the United States is
addicted to fossil fuels. Unfortunately, they are right. Since WWII, the US has been depending on
fossil fuels for energy and it's difficult for companies,
and the government, to change their antiquated habits. Even though
it is
known that fossil fuels will burn out within the next 30-40 years,
no one seems to be willing to stand up and make a change.
Not even many
politicians are willing to look that far ahead, it seems
that all they see is the present. Because terms
require re-election in 2,4 and
6 years, most politicians look only to the
moment for their election and re-election.
In Washington, D.C. there are very
powerful lobbyists from the oil and gas companies.
These lobbyists are
strongly influencing Republicans and some Democrats to turn their head the
other way and ignore the growing dilemma.
A lot of money is at stake for the oil and gas
companies and they don't want energy policies to be make that will
negatively impact their bottom line - the almighty dollar. A switch
from fossil fuels will decrease demand, which will drop prices and
ultimately eliminate the need to unnecessarily ravage the earth.
We can change, but do not fall for the politicians who support (or are
bought out by) the oil and gas companies. If you are a
Republican, separate your morality issues from the energy issue. Tell
your congressman and senators to address the energy issue. If you are
a Democrat who has congressmen or senators who support but ignore the
issues. Do not vote for them. This is not a Democrat or
Republican issue, it's an American issue - something all of us have to be
concerned about, regardless of political beliefs. We believe we can
solve this problem by getting rid of partisanship. Rush Limbaugh is
wrong on this issue, maybe he's right in other areas, but he's definitely
wrong here. There is global warming, it's a reality. It's too big to
ignore.
Ok, what if we're wrong and there is no global warming?
Well, we can rejoice while we're driving in our hybrids that don't emit CO2 or
run exclusively on fossil fuels. We can catch the news about it on
our televisions that are powered by wind or solar energy. Global
warming aside, it just makes sense to use energy sources that renew themselves.
It's much better than panicking about how we're going to get more oil and gas
once they run out (and they will). Let's be proactive, not reactive.
The time for change is now.
Go Green Revolution
(GG Revolution)
The world is moving into a new era, the Go Green Revolution (GGR). This means
that everyone, not only environmental activists, has to go green because of
the earth's current global warming and rising seas. Environmental changes are
not only damaging to our economy, but are now to the point of threatening
human life itself. It is no longer acceptable to solely use fossil fuels to
run the economy while damaging the environment.
Many countries now realize there is a problem and are actively trying to
change their economic system to become more earth friendly. Germany is an
example of this, they have placed a cap on their CO2 emissions to reduce their
greenhouse gas contribution. In Brazil, they have taken charge and started
the process of changing to ethanol. They have already changed 40% of their
fuel to ethanol, so they are no longer dependant on foreign imported oils.
In
the United States, the Bush administration has in the past five years been
spending 29 billion dollars in research and development of renewable energy
sources and energy tax incentives. What is more interesting is that Congress
and the Senate are both controlled by the Democratic Party. This is
significant in that there is a presidential election next year and if a
Democrat wins the presidency, there will be a huge shift toward green energy
policies. The Democratic Party has many environmental supporters. It’s also
possible that there could be more pressure put on the oil and gas companies to
invest in renewable energy sources. If this were to happen, it's possible a
tremendous amount of money would be invested in renewable sources of energy.
Americans, in general, already acknowledge failure with the Iraq War. They
are realizing more and more their dependence on oil and that they must change
to renewable sources of energy. After a new administration is brought in,
many countries will have to change their energy policies if the U.S. decides
to join the Kyoto treaty with the condition that all developing nations join
(including China and India).
The United Nation's Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) already
warns us of the seriousness of global warming. Dr. Achim Steiner, Exec. Direc
UN Environmental Program, says that “It matters whether or not you are born in
Africa…..societies are affected in different ways.” No longer is there debate
about our direct involvement in global warming. We, humans, are responsible
for the warming of the earth and all nations accept this result without
doubt.
How does this global change affect us? It's very clear
that our future has to change dramatically soon. This is bad news for those
nations that are not prepared. The future competitiveness of a nation depends
on its energy security. Whoever develops the initial green energy source,
will elevate their nation to become a major power in the future. A new
revolution means new opportunities for all industrial nations. It can be
solar, wind, water, biomass, or any type of renewable energy source for all
different nations. It is a matter of survival and the fittest will come out
on top with innovative energy developments.
The 19th century had the Industrial Revolution,
the 20th century had the IT revolution and now the Go
Green
Revolution is for the 21st century.
The Go
Green
Revolution and converting to an environmentally friendly industry is no longer
a choice. It is our reality and it's coming to us very fast.
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