Understanding and Acknowledgment

We need to begin by understanding and acknowledging that we face problems that perhaps threaten the existence of our species. We are simply not coexisting with nature in a sustainable manner. The difficulty with achieving the needed level of understanding and acknowledgment in a large enough fraction of the world population is that the problems are advancing on us at a pace measured in years, not minutes or hours. Unfortunately, people tend to ignore predictable problems or risks that will manifest themselves in something beyond the immediate future.

Smokers, for example, delude themselves about the risks of smoking (addiction, lung cancer, heart disease, emphysema). I'm quite sure that most, if not all, of those told by a doctor that they have lung cancer (with the accompanying grim prognosis) suddenly develop deep regrets that they ever smoked. But the connection between smoking and lung cancer has been common knowledge for about 50 years. People take up smoking nonetheless.

We are doing the same thing with respect to energy consumption. For example, just at a time when it is becoming crystal clear that profligate consumption of oil is upsetting the atmospheric balance of the planet, as well as presenting a serious national security threat by sending huge amounts of money to our enemies, or those that should be considered our enemies³, Americans in droves have decided that it is a good idea to drive to work, to the supermarket, etc. in 5000 lb. four-wheel drive 14 mpg trucks, typically alone, where a 3000 lb. 30-50 mpg car⁴ would do the job. As an aside, I can't resist mentioning, with due credit to Bill Maher, that frequently these SUVs (especially it seems, the grossest of them: the Lincoln Navigator, the Cadillac Escalade, the Chevy Suburban and the Ford Excursion) are adorned with American flags, a stunning testament, given the environmental and national security problems excessive fuel consumption is causing this country, to the utter lack of understanding or caring by the American public of the problems we face. Maher has observed that it would be a lot more patriotic to drive a Toyota Prius (one of the 50 mpg hybrids mentioned earlier) and skip the flag.

So the first step is to realize that we have a possible threat to the human species looming during this century and business as usual isn't going to work, especially if we care about our kids and grandkids, which we do. We are like alcoholics, except our addiction is to energy and ``convenience''. Like alcoholics, the first step is to acknowledge that we have a problem.

Having done that, what's next?