We can go on and on about oil companies and gas prices and polluted air and all the respitory problems that seem to be affiliated with pollution — however, as usual, the solution lies with each and everyone of us. We drive big, fast cars; we speed; the auto manufacturers continue to produce and market BIGGER AND FASTER automobiles instead of producing comfortable, cool looking, smaller and gas-efficient autos.

Just take a random census while sitting in traffic and notice how many SUVs and small trucks that are on the roads today. Is it really necessary for people to take their small family of children to school in a gas-guzzling van/SUV loaded with all the comforts of home? This is not vacation we’re talking about — this is a trip to the supermarket or school or to the baseball game. The towns we live in and highways we drive on are filled with these huge vans and trucks, and for what? We have the capacity to carpool, but heaven forbid! We speed, drive big fast autos, and then we have the nerve to complain about gas prices…

Aren’t you tired of being dependent on so many questionable people in the middle east? What about making them richer than we will ever imagine?

The answer is simple — as it usually is: Drive smaller and more fuel-efficient cars. Slow down and take a position with auto manufacturers (yes, email them your thoughts) and tell them to get to the old drawing board and manufacture something that works for this country and to do it now and not in 5 years. Let’s keep the oil consumption for real needs like keeping warm in winter, for cooking for the airlines and for some manufacturing. To speed around in big old vans for recreational purposes is just such a waste. Time to wake up before it’s too late.

And by the way, I walk the walk — I drive a great car, which gets 26-30 MPG, and I don’t put the pedal to the metal — I stay within the speed limits on a routine basis. I make most of my trips count by having a plan and leave a few minutes early so I don’t have to race around. Yes, as I said, it’s simple and all of us can make a major difference, and what we can do as a country is totally awesome.

Just do it!

K

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Two words: President Bush!

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Good Afternoon,

I am a subscriber to your email and as I read through the welcoming paragraph in today’s issue I couldn’t help wondering why you did not finish Mother’s famous quote and say that “Cleanliness is next to Godliness”. Were you afraid of offending someone by using the word “Godliness”?

I, for one, and I believe one of MANY, feel that we would not have put our world in such peril; struggling for her very existence if we as human beings would think a little less about our own fortune and take it upon ourselves to do what’s right for our own future first, then do what’s right as best we can to make our profits.

That’s right, each of us must make that decision. Even the largest businesses and industries, if you push far enough up come down to one person who has the final decision, yea or nay, to do what’s right, first, before profit. If we would put our focus on treating Mother Nature in a manner of respect for her virtues as God would have us do we would not be scrambling now to improve our atmosphere; reduce harmful emissions and prevent major erosion. We would all be living much better, healthier lives. We would not need all these laws and regulations and rules forcing us to do a minimum requirement if we would ask ourselves “Is this the best thing for my family’s health, for my part of this Earth, or for the air that I breathe?” If we can truthfully answer yes to these questions, we should have no problem being in compliance with any law forcing us to do so.

The laws of nature, the laws of self-preservation of sustaining a good life for our descendants would be the only laws necessary. We need to clean up our greed and selfishness foremost. The rest will take care of itself.

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Ed. Note:

Interesting point. But no, the exclusion of “Godliness” in our newsletter’s greeting was not PC-based nor was it for fear of offending some readers. (Actually, the idea hadn’t crossed my mind, which probably shows how sensitive I am.)

Rather, and perhaps much less interesting, the reason lies in the fact that I downright loathe clich

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I agree with the comments that K made about gas guzzlers, except why blame the automakers? They all offer sensible vehicles.

The trouble is with the people who purchase and drive ridiculously oversized vehicles for running errands and commuting simply to make them feel good about themselves.

I drive a four-cylinder car in the winter or when I’m being a wuss and it’s raining. Otherwise, it’s a motorcyle or a bicycle if time permits.

Can’t we all at least man-up enough to drive cars to work and the store?

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The solutions to the energy problem is not going to come overnight as we all know. The responsibility for the mess we (the world, not just the United States) find ourselves in lies ulitmately with all of us. However, the greed of our leaders in government and big buisness has got to shoulder the lion’s share.

In the good times of cheap and plentifull energy, no one was leading the “fight” to evolve towards cleaner and more efficient ways to produce energy fuels. We were sold energy hogs, as they were cheaper to mass produce and fit the bottom line of the producers. In fact, they lobbied our government leaders to aid them in that stagnant process in the form of campaign contributions, kickbacks, and garnering voter support for their relection.

The people at large are not privy to these daily battles for their future, but will have to pay the price for that behavior now, and for a long time to come.

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The small to midsize companies who have less name recognition are logically the worst polluters. They are not as closely watched and many feel they can get away with more and save dollars in the process.

In this case, it is more up to state and local officials to report violations, but it may not always be in their best interest to do so. Many communities offer fantastic incentives to recruit industries into their area and would not want to “rock the boat” too hard. This makes for a very sticky situation, indeed.

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