It's not easy being green.
I'm actually starting to feel for poor old Kermit the Frog. He was right, it's not easy being green. It's not easy when society has made it much, MUCH easier to be a wasteful, overindulgent consumer. It's not easy when you feel as if no matter how hard you try as an individual you will never be able to really make a difference. That's why all this green has got me feeling blue.
Wouldn't it be great if everyone realized how imortant it is to stop relying on oil (foreign or domestic), or if everyone decided that each home should come equiped with its own energy-generating solar panals, or if everyone could agree that researching altrenative sources of energy is one of the best places to invest our money for the future? That would be great, but it's not a reality and I can't afford to put solar panels on my house, I certainly can't research alternative sources of energy and in order to get to school, or anywhere else for that matter, I rely on oil.
I'm starting to realize that the kind of difference I want to make is too big for me to handle on my own. I know I said I would start small and go from there, but starting small has lead me to big things and I want to make a big change. The kind of change that requires some help from our policy makers in Washington.
When Barack Obama was elected in 2008 I was excited at the prospect of having a President who actually cared about our environment. It seemed as though he understood how important it was to eliminate America's dependence on oil and coal and to start investing in alternative sources of energy. In recent months it seems as though the focus of our President has drifted far from these issues and on to other challenges that stand in the way of these policies ever becoming a reality. There's no denying that there are other problems that need to be solved. So, why focus on policies that would create such drastic changes at a time like this? Many Americans feel that it is not important to focus on these issues, not now, not ever.
To be honest, I don't blame them, not when many Americans have other things to worry about such as unemployment, high gas prices and no healthcare. It's hard to see past these issues and focus on something not immediately threatening your day to day life, especially when it's not your job. This is why I think it's so important for Obama to keep these issues in mind when handeling the challenges facing him right now, because he's the only one that has the power to do something about it. He needs to stop listening to the politicians who feel that spending money on clean energy is a waste and should be eliminated from the budget and stand up for the changes he was elected to make.
I for one will not stand by and watch clean energy funding get eliminated, nor will I let this issue be forgotten about. Join me in my effort and sign this petition! The only way we can make a difference is by speaking out, oil companies have been heard and will continue to be the only ones heard by politicians unless we join together and send a louder message... It's time to make a change!
Yes I agree completely. But the real trick with this is to start in your own backyard. That's the only place people will hear you. No one in NC wants some Florida Kid trying to tell them what to do in their mountains. It becomes a turf issue instead of an issue about truth and respect of the place for everyone. So Google Lakeland or Bartow and see the Phosphate Strip mines here in Florida. Miles and Miles of destroyed wetlands and rivers... We really have the same problem here in Florida, greed runs it here too.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the tip, I'll have to check out what kind of petitions I can find for Floridians. I was thinking about starting one of my own, but I honestly don't know how to get it out there, nor have I been able to find a website that allows someone to create one of their own... one that actually ends up in the right hands. I've been really frustrated with the lack of "green policy" the Obama administration has produced, I was reeeally hoping for more and to be honest I don't feel like much will get done on the state level until the president makes everyone realize how important it is. Now I'm feeling even more blue...
ReplyDeleteThere are actually a lot of issues here in Florida that are pushing the limits with the Feds. Like how DEP decided to Ignore EPA - SEE FL House Bill HB 239. The Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility (PEER) has filed a petition to the EPA regarding Herschel, since he’s received permits from FDEP as noted in this excerpt:
ReplyDeleteThe appointment of Herschel T. Vinyard as Secretary of FDEP violates § 304(i) of the Clean Water Act, which expressly prohibits persons employed by regulated dischargers from overseeing state agencies that administer NPDES permitting (Phillips & Young, 2011)
This notices included organizations fighting for Florida, I'm sure they have websites and links to dozens of petitions. But the Phosphate scams are crazy. They are required to RESTORE everything and get permits to reflect that. But then sell the land to another subsidiary that goes bankrupt so they very rarely restore anything except to greenwash...
I completely agree with you. The problem is it is so hard to make those big changes. Like you I can't afford solar panels on my house, a hybrid car, or even an energy efficient dryer. I would love to, but the fact is that it is so expensive. It's like eating better, organic food--it costs less to be lazy.
ReplyDelete