Energize Me

I hope every one of my readers had a great Thanksgiving. What I want to talk about in this post is the environment. So, you think to yourselves "Why is a conservative talking about the environment?" First of all, all conservatives don't come from the same mold or cookie cutter pattern. We're all a little different in our own way and don't just blindly espouse our views just to stay loyal to the party base. I would like to think of myself as a conservative who is open to other ideas and suggestions. This being said, I already have established views and would only change my mind if someone had enough proof on an issue and damning evidence that their opinion was indeed the most logical in scope. As I have said in my previous posts, the formation of opinions is one of a socialization factor that has a tremendous effect on individual views. And in all fairness, it's difficult to find any "non-biased" information out there. Everyone has an opinion and if they were apolitical why would I listen to their opinion in the first place? It seems that my generation is so apathetic about politics and worldly affairs that their opinions are made for them.

Anyway, back to the environment. I am an economically green conservative. This does not mean that I believe the farce that is "An Inconvenient Truth". I believe that it would be best for the economy as a whole to go green because of the crisis of oil we are facing in our country at the moment. Sitting around the table this Thanksgiving made me appreciate the fact that my family talks about politics. One of the most talked-about issues was the price of gas. This is an issue that is wearing away at the strong seams of our nation. My uncle drives a diesel-fueled truck and if you are "in the know" you realize that diesel gas is closely approaching $4.00 a gallon and is above that price in some parts of the country. He has now invested in a bio-diesel converter that he bought online. Our country is a reactionary country and unless something reaches a threshold, it's difficult to change a already established behavior. The exorbitant price of gasoline has led to a surge in the sales of hybrid cars and other innovations such as flex fuel cars and trucks that use E-85. Even California has buses fueled by hydrogen fuel cells. I am feeling the cost of gas as a college student. Seeing as how my car only gets around 20 miles per gallon, I seem to be refueling at least once a week. This is an important topic for Americans and with the dollar falling to new lows everyday and OPEC thinking about using the Euro rather than the dollar has tremendous effects on our society as a whole. Low gas mileage ratings and the ever-increasing pollution associated with transportation are eroding away at what our country has stood for for 2 centuries, innovation.

Being conservative doesn't mean you can't be conscious of the oil problem that is facing this country. I would have to disagree that global warming will lead to the destruction of our world, but I do admit that the CO2 emissions are having some negative effect. Rather than changing for environmental purposes, which I have no incentive to do, let's change for economical purposes. We import 60% of our oil, much of it from the Middle East. We are dependent on those nations and they can play us like marionettes. If we look at the worst-case scenario, a hurricane could hit in the Gulf of Mexico. This would hinder the production of oil in the gulf and gas prices would soar. Then, if a terrorist attack on oil in the Middle East were to coincide with the hurricane, we are looking at $9.00 per gallon of gas. Huge shortages along with the increasing price would drive customer confidence down and the stock market could lose 20 to 30 % of its value in this span. Oil affects our lives in more ways that we know. Without it, we would be beholden to many negative Middle East deals and stripped of our rights just so oil executives could have another record quarter. We rely on oil. Oil works for many Americans. You don't have to think twice when you go to pump. Oil is readily available. This is the problem. Americans are not concerned with what will happen with oil in the foreseeable future. It's time for change. I have not yet heard any Republican candidates for president offer advice on how they would strengthen the dollar and how they would wean our dependence on foreign oil. It is pertinent that we make this transition to renewable energy not just for the environment's stake but also for the economy and our country's stake.

-“Right wing or left wing, they are both wings on the same bird”-