Stopping global warming

I know the Democrats have to hype the energy bill just to argue that they haven't been totally rolled by the White House, but it's hard for me to get very enthusiastic about it.  Conservation, of course, is good.  Raising fuel economy standards will no doubt encourage that.  So will eliminating incandescent light bulbs. 

But what if people spend the energy savings on more stuff?  Stuff manufactured and shipped by fossil fuels?  Or what if a gas-sipping car simply makes commuting longer distances, from exurbs carved out of farmland and forest, more economical?

The only way to stop global warming in its tracks is developing alternative energy sources.  And so the oil company tax, which would have funded that very thing, was the key to the whole bill.  And it had to be stripped in order to get it past the White House.  Sigh.

The other thing is the culture.  It's insane the way we go into debt for more and more junk, junk which does not make us happy, junk that winds up in yard sales or in the landfill.  It's creepy the way that shopping has become something of a pastime/competitive sport.  This is a horrible use of both time and natural resources. 

I'm not sure the government can do much about this.  It's up to churches to demonstrate to people that, beyond the basic needs of food, clothing, shelter, health care and education, a well-lived life does not consist of the accumulation of more and pricier and better things.  It's about healthy relationships, joy in experiencing God's good creation, serving others, a good meal prepared at home and shared with family or friends, reading a book (checked out from a library!), learning to play a musical instrument, telling jokes, laughing, taking a walk, worship.

You know.  All the usual stuff that money can't buy.  (And don't give that crap about, "For everything else there's Visa")!

Comments

[ken]

"The only way to stop global warming in its tracks is developing alternative energy sources."

The thing that simply amazes me is that the oil companies are NOT researching alternative energy sources. If they came up with viable solar, geothermal, &c. sources, they'd be even richer than they are now! Do they really think that fossil fuels are in unending supply? Or are they really so incredibly greedy that they don't want to "waste" their profits on R&D?

[skybison]

I agree with you that the USA government can do little to curb global warming if US citizens and world citizens keep on with the consumerism at an increasing rate. Yet, Corporate globalization is banking on it. And I am speaking as a massive consumer of stuff and a terribly easy mark for corporate and internet marketing. Mostly good books and better books and some hip-deep board games garner my consumer desires, but I'm also a sucker for "smart toys" for my 2 kids. So I'm looking for more ways to use the public libary to source (and share) my particular set of temptations (with some personal contributions of my own) and was surprised at how open the librarians were to broadening the collection of sci-fi classics and experimenting with a public shelf of "family board game" checkouts! Who would have guessed!?

Oh, but assuming we're all just greedy little buggers, intent upon selfish consumption... couldn't we globally just agree to mandate only 1 kid per adult (2 kids per couple... then snip-snip)... and save the planet that way?

I know, I know... that'd be WAY too easy and make too much mathematical, economic and environmentally sustainable sense. And we'd miss all the fun of reaching 10 billion, exterminating all non-human, non-domesticated life and ultimately killing each other for food! We wouldn't want our grandkids to miss-out on that?