My husband and I got the chance this week to attend the
national premier of Gasland 2, a
film about fracking (hydraulic fracturing). Since the first film five years
ago, much has happened in Illinois in this area. Leases are being signed in the
Shawnee National Forest, companies have approached my county about fracking
here, and the Illinois legislature has bills before it to ban fracking and to
allow it with a minimum amount of regulatory oversight. You can guess which
groups support each of these measures I’m sure.
But whether or not I think this should go on in the state or
the world is not what I want to talk about. It’s what led us to this point that
I am interested in exploring. The consumerism, feelings that it is your right
to use whatever resources you want without consequence, desire for cheap goods
and services, desire to live the lifestyle Americans live, etc. : all of these
things work together to lead energy companies to look for the next boom in the
energy supply. First it was steam and wood, then coal, oil, nuclear, and now
the big one is natural gas. All of these things made these companies rich at
the expense of people, ecosystems, communities, countries, and the entire
planet.
There has to be a better way and there is. It is more
difficult than I will make it sound here due mostly to politics, lobbying and
money, but renewable energy technologies have been proven to be able to readily
supply
the world’s energy needs. Between wind, solar, and hydro-power, there is
enough supply to exceed the current demands when used together. Add to those: geothermal,
wave technology, biogas, bio-fuels, and others and you have a diverse and
capable range of energy sources.
So why not? Why not build up the energy grid over the next 5
years and develop these resources and change things over? A lot depends on us.
How we consume affects more than how much garbage we make. Our lives are
connected to more than our little bubble and every seemingly insignificant
decision can have a butterfly effect to many other things including the energy
booms and busts.
I know this is a heavy topic for a Friday but someone has to
say it right? We have made many strides toward good environmental stewardship
since the first Earth Day and there is no reason to stop now.
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