By Deborah Mokma
The new look we have beginning with this issue is the result of what began as some very challenging news. Our printer informed us that they might not be able to continue purchasing the book stock we have used for our cover page for the last decade. If they could manage to find a supplier willing to ship from the east, the price would be considerably higher. Since we operate on a very small budget, this could potentially make a large difference. But as with so many things in life, this seemingly bad news turned positive when we realized that we could substitute a glossy cover in it’s place, at less cost, and be able to invest in the stitch and trim format that we have been planning on sooner than expected.
We face a similar situation as a nation with our dependence on limited fossil fuel sources and the worsening global climate change that has resulted from the burning of these fuels. If we rise to the challenge by embracing wide-reaching conservation measures and new renewable energy technologies it is likely we will be able to address our most important future energy needs—although our current excessive energy use will not be able to continue. While the initial financial outlay incurred may seem high, when factored in over time the cost to our personal and planetary health by continuing our current petroleum- and coal-burning practices will be even more. Far more.
A recent survey in the US indicates that 90 percent of Americans feel that renewable energy is an important part of the solution to our current energy needs and that the government should take a major role in creating standards to make it happen. 88 percent of those surveyed support incentives for renewables and 92 percent support minimum standards for the private sector’s use of renewables. 91 percent said the US needs “more ambitious and creative thinking” behind a new energy policy for the future.
This same report concluded that “Voters readily connect our nation’s energy policy to promoting national security and economic development, and subscribe to the view that a new energy policy is technologically feasible.”
Why then are our elected officials not pursuing these goals? Corporate interests—the very same ones whose contributions finance elections—of course. When considering how to approach the needs of the entire planetary community from the perspective of what is best for the greater good, choosing to continue on as we have been for the past fifty years seems quite illogical. But when considering the bottom line of corporate profits, embracing new technologies may not appear quite as enticing.
Obviously then the question is how do we, the people, 90 percent of whom feel renewable energy is an important part of the solution to our energy needs, influence our elected officials to do the right thing? Real campaign finance reform—by publicly financing elections—is the key.
Sound too good to ever really happen? It’s not. As Bill Moyers shared recently in a speech he gave in California (see page -6): “… look at what has happened in Connecticut, one of the most corrupt states in the union. Rocked by multiple scandals that brought down a state treasurer, a state senator, and the governor himself with convictions of bribery, tax evasion, and worse, the people finally had enough. Although many of the parties had to be forced, kicking and screaming to do it, last December the legislature passed clean money reform and the new governor signed it into law. The bill bans campaign contributions from lobbyists and state contractors and makes Connecticut the very first state in the nation where the legislature and governor approved full public funding for their own races.”
Let’s all begin by making better choices right now—in the vehicles we choose, the amount we drive, the purchases we make, the amount and type of electricity we use, the foods we eat … you get the picture. Communicating with our elected representatives and candidates running for office and participating in the “Empty Envelopes for Empty Promises” campaign (see page 5) can also be beneficial. We’re all in this together. All of us. The actions of each individual have a very real effect on everyone else. Please join me in making a difference in our shared future.
April/May 2006
Empty
Envelopes for Empty Promises
Steve Bhaerman
Restoring
the Public Trust
Bill Moyers
Nonviolence:
The Link Between Spiritual Development and Social Change
David Kupfer
One
Roof at a Time
Bill McKibben
If
Not Now, When?
Jody Woodruff
Recent
Research Shows Organic Foods Safer for Children
Stephen Leahy
Shop
Smart and Save the Planet
Annie Hoy
What's
in Your Pantry
Mary Shaw
Playing
the Quantum Field
Brenda Anderson
Autobiography
of a Blue-Eyed Yogi
Reviewed by Rachel Bendat
Living
With the Himalayan Masters
Reviewed by Rachel Bendat
The
Oneness Movement
Cate Montana
Book
Reviews
John Darling
Cosmic
Calendar
Salina Rain
