Someone has suggested a fourth R in the waste hierarchy: reduce, reuse, recycle, and RETHINK. A few days ago, thumbing through a magazine, I read a letter to the editor from a woman who complained: “Please stop putting ‘green’ articles in your magazine. They’re a dime a dozen.” I had to agree with her, even though I’m “guilty” of writing articles just like the ones she’s complaining about.
Everywhere I look, books, magazines, radio and TV programs, and Internet sites offer tips for tweaking our petroleum-laced lifestyles. With disasters such as the Deepwater Horizon oil spill, though, “green tips” articles read like “Ten Easy Ways To Rearrange the Deck Chairs on the Titanic!” A few individuals tweaking their habits isn’t enough to dent our dependence.
As parents, my husband and I know when tweaking our kids’ behavior has to give way to big-picture discussions about character and consequences. No one enjoys those discussions. The resulting changes are uncomfortable and humbling, and they require 100% participation by all family members – including parents! – to be truly effective. It’s worth it, though: we want our kids to be happy, responsible adults who are governed by love and respect for others. Even if it kills them. (I knew letting them watch The Three Stooges was a bad idea!).
Similarly, we citizens have to look at the whys of our behavior, the what-will-happen if this behavior continues, and take steps. Here in the U. S., fossil fuels like oil, gas, and coal are cheap and available. But energy from fossil fuels doesn’t renew itself like solar or wind energy does. It took millions of years for the earth to make fossil fuels. It will take considerably less time for us to use them up, since we use four times as much as we currently discover. The world’s population is growing and so is its demand for energy. Already – as the Deepwater Horizon well demonstrates – we have to go farther and dig deeper to get the resources we require.
So, let’s rethink – let’s imagine what would happen if we took steps to transition away from our reliance on fossil fuels right here in our own communities. For instance, what would happen if:
- Our communities replaced incandescent lighting in our public spaces with cost- and energy-saving CFLs and LEDs?
- All of our utilities provided at least a portion of their energy from clean renewable sources such as wind and solar and allowed net metering for customers?
- Our factory owners installed photovoltaic panels on the barren rooftops of their manufacturing facilities to collect solar energy?
- Our local landfills collected methane gas for energy?
- Our main thoroughfares had dedicated commuter bike lanes for those who commute to work or school along busy roads? A bike-friendly town means safer roads, cleaner air, and healthier people!
- Our local economy flourished because we spent our money here, paid our workers here, built our businesses here? Farmer’s Markets are a great example of local commerce at work…
All of these “what-ifs” are possible – in fact, some of them are being implemented by some individuals, businesses, and communities already!
No one can say when fossil fuels will disappear. However, the future is clear – the luxury of cheap fuel that we have enjoyed here in the United States for so long may be coming to a close. Let’s take this opportunity to find better ways to meet our energy needs and improve our way of life at the same time. We have the know-how – let’s use it!
