Procrastadabbler

Today’s local paper has an article about how global warming is now a big issue in government, but so too are high energy costs. The short, and rather superficial article, says that congress is going to have a hard time getting bills to pass that put that try to reduce our dependency on petroleum and coal products given the high costs of energy.

The harsh truth is that we need high fuel costs if we are going to reduce carbon emissions. I’m being simplistic and reductionist here, but we got into this global warming pickle because fuel was kept artificially cheap. We’d have pumped out a lot less if we had to pay a lot more. And our whole infrastructure would look very different if energy were more expensive (look at Europe).

Admittedly, the flip side of high energy costs is that the people who really get hurt by it are those living on the edge financially already. So, what is really needed is a vast overhaul of the whole system if we are to create a healthier, more humane society.

If we want to reduce our dependency on oil etc, we need to invest in better mass transportation, plus
people (me included) need to change our ways of living. Sprawling suburbs are, of course, supported by cheap gas, so we need to live more condensed lives. And it goes on and on.

What I see going on are attempts to hold on to life as we know it, life as it has been created for us since the end of WWII, life that is built around consumerism. The world is changing and there is going to be a heckuva fight to hang on to the old ways. But we can’t.

And I admit, I’m as guilty as the next American for being an energy hog and I’m dragging my feet as much as anyone. But I can’t anymore. Nor can any of us.