Saving the Planet for the Future

I was surprised today to hear my pastor preach on the need for Christians and all citizens to stand up for the Earth and acknowledge that global warming is real and we are the main reason for the decline of our Earth. Too many Christians deny the fact that our addiction to oil, increased energy use, and inability to be uncomfortable to save our planet--leaves us with a moral obligation to save our planet from our own destructive addictions and behaviors.

Today on this Earth we have approximately 6.77 billion people and within 40 years that number will reach approximately 10 billion people. Our rapid population growth will create an increased demand for fresh water, energy, food, and other resources. Currently the United States is the biggest energy user in the world with China being a close 2nd. If we continue to depend on oil and coal as our main energy suppliers, greenhouse gases will continue to increase the warming of the Earth resulting in flooding in our coastal regions from melting polar ice caps, increased hurricanes, and drought, among other extreme weather conditions.

More countries will battle it out for resources and life today will be greatly different in the future. In order to reduce this crisis and its impact on our lives, we must begin to make the tough choices necessary. Many argue nuclear power is the answer--however the risk of a nuclear meltdown considering that man is not perfect and liable to mess up, i.e. financial crisis and exactly where the waste will be stored still plagues policy makers, and the cost of building & maintaining nuclear power plants is still of great concern. Secondly, ethanol from corn has been touted as a solution, however the use of corn diminishes our food supply and causes starvation of millions of citizens around the world that depend on corn. And even windmills hold hope of creating clean energy, however due to environmental concerns, there are still doubts there as well.

So the question then is, where do we go from here? Whatever decisions are made pertaining energy reform, there must not be a dependence on one solution. If we can truly create clean coal, invest in mass transit & battery powered vehicles, solar energy, and understand that increased energy costs in our homes should not be an excuse to not have a valid cap-and-trade policy, we can dramatically reduce our dependence on oil and other polluting habits. If the only argument against cap-and-trade is that Americans have to pay more for energy, that is a good thing! We as a people use energy as though there are no consequences to the Earth--the future survival of our Earth is more important than increased energy costs--in the end it will decrease our energy use and create a more responsible and energy efficient society.

Imagine if every American used 10% less energy then we currently use--driving the speed limit, using energy efficient light bulbs, investing in solar panels for our homes, more natural light, using a outside clothesline to dry clothes, etc. There could truly be a revolution in how energy is created and used--resulting in a better Earth today and for the future. The time has come for Americans to make sacrifices for the good of our country and for the Earth. We should always aim to leave the planet better off then we found it.


Check out the Center for America's Progress plan for creating a new green society:
http://www.americanprogress.org/issues/2008/09/green_recovery.html