It’s a beautiful sunny Friday morning in northwestern Ontario, and I see out the window my daughter’s brightly coloured clothes drying on our clothesline. The fossil fools who steer the ship of the North American economy these days can’t see that their time is running out. Apparently they believe there’s another planet for their children and grandchildren when they have exhausted/polluted the natural resources on this one. There is an alternative, though, to running our economy on a finite supply of dead things. Here are some of my favourite quotes about solar energy:
“I’d put my money on the sun and solar energy. What a source of power! I hope we don’t have to wait ’til oil and coal run out before we tackle that.” Thomas Edison
“The world’s deserts can supply energy for every conceivable demand by humankind.” Dr. Gerhard Knies
“Rather than continuing to base our economy on a finite supply of dead things, we can base it on sources that are practically infinite and eternal: the sun, the moon and the Earth’s inner fire.” Van Jones
Want to learn more about the shift to a new way of doing things? Check out the Transition Network and/or 350.org’s Moving Planet event on Sept.24, a day to celebrate moving away from fossil fuels. Find or organize a Moving Planet event in your community – click here for more information.
I think what we might need is another planet to deposit all the politicians on…preferably in another galaxy.
LOL – not on Venus, apparently that’s where women are from and we don’t want them there!
as long as there are living things, then won’t there always be dead things?
I am not advocating the exploitation of fossil fuels, just common sense… But i do believe that long dead carbonated remains can be put to good use for the living.. we just need to scale down, use less, do less, be less!… i know i have stated this before on your blog, but i maintain that big oil and gas Biz. is not the problem.. the problem is us and the way we live and use their products.. they (big business) do not exist for their own health or to satisfy any self serving grand plans, they exist because the consuming public (especially us in N.A.), demand everything we do without a thought or care for the consequences…
the most positive effect on the environment is economic contraction… that is a fact.., but it seems that people are deadly afraid of not having the world at their fingertips, not having the latest fashions, missing the next trend or exotic attraction, not making that informative video, or losing that wage slave, cancelling the cable hook-up..etc.. i could go on for ever.. sometimes i do, just ask the people who know me and worry about my sanity… i am turning off my machine now… have a nice weekend all!
i mean “slave wage”, though i guess some are more afraid of losing that “wage slave” too..lol…
nor am i sure that we get carbonated or carbonized? but we are full of fiz quite often.. ok..now i am really turning off my computer…
We’re a long way away from not using carbon, that’s for sure (carbonized or carbonated!). But while individual responsibility is a wonderful thing, and economic contraction does reduce our fossil fuel use temporarily, real change will come when we put a price on carbon pollution – a “tipping fee”, if you like, for using the sky as a sewer. Collecting a fee at the source – mine, well, etc – and giving it back to all citizens in the form of a dividend will efficiently and with the least pain to those who can afford it the least, reduce our use of carbon and stimulate a green economy that will provide jobs without forfeiting our children’s future. Don’t take my word for it – check out “Building a Green Economy” http://citizensclimatelobby.org/files/building-a-green-economy.pdf.
I plan to participate in the Moving Planet event! Should be interesting!
It should be a great way to connect with other concerned folk in your community, Sherry. We will start the momentum going in the right direction. Maybe we can even salvage Canada’s tattered international reputation at the same time!