“Denial or outright idiocy?” I ask myself. Global warming is on the rise but American automakers are negligently focusing their resources on the production of bigger cars, with bigger engines, requiring bigger gas tanks. This year’s Detroit Auto Show demonstrated a blatant disregard for the environment. In the face of obvious negative effects, in large part due to the burning of fossil fuels, GM Vice Chairman Bob Lutz, asserted, ``Right now the drive for more and more power in cars is way larger than the drive for more and more hybrids,’’ despite the harm that comes as a result.
The rest of the planet is baring the brunt of our endless need for more and more of its resources. If we took the time to view this debacle in its entirety, we would see it for what it is: absolute gluttony. Really. Take a look at our obesity rates. They’re skyrocketing. There are more overweight Americans than not. We are sending our young men and women to die in the Middle East to quench our thirst for more and more oil. Seeing an oversized SUV, displaying a US Flag is the epitome of an oxymoron but more significant, it’s a demonstration of American arrogance. Over the course of human civilization, the strongest nations have always took more than their share- the histories of Ancient Athens, the Roman Empire, and the British Empire attest to that. One thing they all had in common was their need for more and their exploits of foreign lands to feed their growing appetites.
While Japan is developing hybrid technologies and demonstrating ways to decrease greenhouse gasses, we won’t even sign onto the Kyoto Protocol. There are some of us trying to reverse this trend, of course. We’re waiting in line for the newest hybrid and trying to convert our diesels to run on corn oil, thus preserving our air while, at the same time, putting the American farmer back to work. The US is the most influential country in world history, with more intellectual and technological resources to improve our environment than any other- improvements that could be exported and shared with the rest of the world. But, no; we prefer to export weapons instead along with our sons and daughters to maintain worldly privileges.
In the meantime, flowers in Japan are blooming five months early and California is experiencing record levels of rain and mudslides. Sure, automakers have a responsibility in all of this- but who’s demanding new V8 engines and more SUVs (most of which will never see even a dirt road or an inch of snow)? While Americans drive around in their oversized vehicles, with oversized guts, spending millions to surgically remove their excess baggage, the rest of the planet looks on. Even our neighbors to the north don’t drive as much- nor are they as heavy. Perhaps the fat from that super-sized cheeseburger or 16oz Spencer steak is settling in our craniums (our schools are certainly not producing much these days, after all- and, yes, I’m a teacher). One question: what will it take to admit, “we are the problem”?
The rest of the planet is baring the brunt of our endless need for more and more of its resources. If we took the time to view this debacle in its entirety, we would see it for what it is: absolute gluttony. Really. Take a look at our obesity rates. They’re skyrocketing. There are more overweight Americans than not. We are sending our young men and women to die in the Middle East to quench our thirst for more and more oil. Seeing an oversized SUV, displaying a US Flag is the epitome of an oxymoron but more significant, it’s a demonstration of American arrogance. Over the course of human civilization, the strongest nations have always took more than their share- the histories of Ancient Athens, the Roman Empire, and the British Empire attest to that. One thing they all had in common was their need for more and their exploits of foreign lands to feed their growing appetites.
While Japan is developing hybrid technologies and demonstrating ways to decrease greenhouse gasses, we won’t even sign onto the Kyoto Protocol. There are some of us trying to reverse this trend, of course. We’re waiting in line for the newest hybrid and trying to convert our diesels to run on corn oil, thus preserving our air while, at the same time, putting the American farmer back to work. The US is the most influential country in world history, with more intellectual and technological resources to improve our environment than any other- improvements that could be exported and shared with the rest of the world. But, no; we prefer to export weapons instead along with our sons and daughters to maintain worldly privileges.
In the meantime, flowers in Japan are blooming five months early and California is experiencing record levels of rain and mudslides. Sure, automakers have a responsibility in all of this- but who’s demanding new V8 engines and more SUVs (most of which will never see even a dirt road or an inch of snow)? While Americans drive around in their oversized vehicles, with oversized guts, spending millions to surgically remove their excess baggage, the rest of the planet looks on. Even our neighbors to the north don’t drive as much- nor are they as heavy. Perhaps the fat from that super-sized cheeseburger or 16oz Spencer steak is settling in our craniums (our schools are certainly not producing much these days, after all- and, yes, I’m a teacher). One question: what will it take to admit, “we are the problem”?
