Energy vs. Nature
Have you ever wondered about the human impact on the environment? Obviously, most of the world knows about BP’s leaking oil well in the Gulf of Mexico, thanks to CNN and other broadcast media. The Exxon Valdez made world news when its inebriated captain piloted his ship into the ground, spilling his oil cargo into Prince William Sound. We forget or do not even know about even greater oil spills in North Africa, the Middle East and along the Trans-Alaska Pipeline (BP is one of the owners).
Our world’s greed for black gold has made millions of people very wealthy. Energy companies are major players in world governments, spending untold fortunes to get energy legislation to favor their business ventures and to minimize governmental regulation of their business. Screw the world’s environment…energy companies rule! Government regulators around the world can be bought off to look the other way while these companies pollute our environment and forsake our grandchildren’s future for today’s profits.
What is wrong here? Some may say that this tree hugger is stretching the truth to make a point. Perhaps I am, but I believe more carnage has been brought on our island earth since the discovery of black gold than any other world event. We should realize that energy rules, and we humans will do almost anything to have our fair share of it.
But are petroleum companies the ones to blame? In Brazil, thousand of square miles of pristine tropical rain forests are being destroyed to plant more sugar cane for the production of ethanol, a renewable energy. Rare animals, insects, beneficial plants and human habitats are being destroyed for the production of renewable energy.
What is the common factor here? Could it be human greed for wealth? History shows us that our own need for power over others and Mother Nature has led to world instability. We disrupt other people’s lives because we want what they have. The same goes for energy. We can destroy our planet because we want to harvest her energy riches regardless of the cost of environmental damage.
It’s time to control the harmful ways we treat our planet. Humans have the ability to do the right thing because we do know how to do it. It is just harder to do. In the United States, we have the power of our vote to bring honest people into leadership positions. Now is the time to do it, for the sake of our future generations and Mother Earth.
Jim Gardner