hings are heating up on a number of fronts. Our increasing dependence
on oil and the continual media coverage of the conflict with
Iraq have forced us to pay more attention to the source of our
energy. But the importance of renewable energy goes far beyond
the headlines or politics of today. Cleaner fuel means less
pollution, and that means less global warming. Renewable fuels
present us with the potential to progress without threatening
our future.
Here in the U.S., even with rising heating bills, electricity
is something many of us take for granted: we plug in a cord,
flip a switch, and we expect the coffee to perk, the vacuum
to clean, the lamp to emit light. Rarely do we stop to think
about life without electric power-that only happens when we
face a sudden outage or brownouts due to a severe shortage,
à la California, 2001. Two billion of the world's
people don't have access to the power grid, but how often do
we consider the source of our own electric supply? How in tune
are we with the impacts our use of energy has on the environment
and on the health of the millions of people, plants, and animals
with which we share the Earth?
Transportation in America is somewhat the same: we become indignant
when the price of gasoline rises a nickel or two. We get severe
cabin fever when our cars are out of commission or when we get
snowbound for so much as a day. The reality is that we risk
human, environmental, even planetary health every time we start
our engines, but we are so dependent on our gasoline-fueled
vehicles that we push aside the uncomfortable facts. At the
same time, we are subjected to a constant bombardment of manipulative
messages: "We need to drill in pristine wilderness. We need
to use bigger tankers. We need to rely on oil from foreign sources."
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Energy pervades every part of our
lives, life at home and on the go. Because of its complexity,
many people feel powerless to make any meaningful impact, but
there are solutions and potential solutions available. Global
warming is real and has major implications. Air pollution is
affecting everything from forests to the quality of human life.
In our daily lives, we can reverse the trends — if we take thoughtful
action, starting today. Common sense conservation techniques,
energy-efficient appliances, and renewable sources of energy
are already here. And every day we hear about products, activities,
and choices that can lead us towards a future powered by fuels
that are sustainable and clean.
See also our topic related articles:
• Solar Energy on the Rise
by Liz Robinson
• Adopt-a-Windmill
Campaign
by Thurm Brendlinger
Site sponsored by Refinery.
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