Climate Policy Statement

Background
Part 1's reading presented energy options, along with specific sources of energy issues. The videos specifically focused on the ills of mountaintop coal mining and the resulting pollution.  I felt that all three sources made good cases for changes in energy use but, as I will explain below, I don't know if this will actually fix anything or just serve to depress an already depressed minority of environmentally-friendly Americans.

My thoughts
While I was reading the piece on energy use, I calculated my carbon footprint via an internet source.  Being a vegetarian that recycles most things, started the compost bin at my cooperative house, has a very DIY mentality, shops mainly at thrift stores and disposes of my unwanted "stuff" to other girls at my house or to local ministries that redistribute to the needy, and tries to buy locally, I thought that I would be fine.  As it turns out, I am not doing as well as I had hoped.  It seemed like, according to the website I accessed, the majority of my emissions come from my car, a 2002 Toyota Echo that I bought outright, keep in good running order, and makes around 35 miles to every gallon.  In addition, I try to visit my family (that live in Southern Illinois) about once a month, fly to see my boyfriend (an engineer in Los Angeles) about once every three months, and my dissertation field site is in Belize.  For me, this was a bit discouraging.  It seems that no matter how well we think we are doing, we aren't doing so great after all.

The article did a great job of highlighting specific trouble spots in our energy use, such as cars, planes, heating a cooling, lighting and gadget, pets and food, disposal and transportation of "stuff" and public services.  He coupled that with discussions of alternative energy sources, such as wind, solar, hydroelectric, wave and tide, and geothermal energy sources.  This did a great job of highlighting problem areas and potential alternative energy sources, but really did not give a clear picture of a potential solution to the emissions crisis.

Climate Policy Statement
For many years, politicians and big businesses have danced around the issues of climate warming and the negative effects of increasing carbon emissions.  For the most part, discussions of "clean coal" and the ability of consumers to place plants and disposal sites far from their living locations has distanced these consumers from the impacts of the problems, and silenced the minority that has protested this.  This can go on no longer!  No longer can the rich live in luxury and ignorance while the taxing weight of health consequences and low-paying, decreasing, hazardous jobs working for companies that produce energy befall those that have muted voices and few ways to escape these dangers.  We must decrease the carbon footprints of all Americans, especially those that pollute the most.  It is no longer good enough to just talk about "clean" energy sources and a future technology that will solve current problems.  We must act now to correct the mistakes of the past, to change current wastefulness and ignorance, and to create a better future for this whole planet and all of its inhabitants.