fighting over the way we live

Two videos I recently watched have been haunting my dreams. The first is Henry Rollins, "short, gray and angry" in Israel doing his spoken word best about the war. The second is Michael Klare, author of Resource Wars and Blood and Oil giving a great 30 minute talk about how peak oil could very well bring more violence into our world. Klare spells out his concern with a clarity that might make any peak oil activist more concerned about the geopolitical response to peak oil and less concerned about renewable resources, although the two are obviously intertwined. If we're willing to let our President continue a war we know to have been started based on an inaccuracy (or a combination of inaccuracies) are we really going to stop him or others like him from fighting once peak oil makes our energy situation much more apparent to the general population? I certainly hope that we can recognize the unsustainability of our lifestyle and accept changes in the way we live and do so in a peaceful manner, but there are people saying things like, "The American way of life is non-negotiable," which loosely translates, "Kick their ass & take their gas."

Peak oil is very much an issue of social justice. We are already seeing its effects on third world countries and on the poor right here in America. But we must also recognize that we are trading our children to the military so we can drive big cars and eat cheap food from far away. More oil means more fighting. It's just that simple. And I'm not saying that over night we should condemn those among us who drive big cars or eat food from far away. Many people are unaware of the depth of the connection between oil and our American way of life. I'm saying it's up to those of us who do know to share that message. And I think sharing it by shouting at SUV drivers isn't going to help. We must make changes in our own imperfect lives and then share those changes with others. That is how we can share the message without alienating others. We must make and share change first and foremost because it is the right thing to do, but like Henry Rollins points out, we must also do so because if we do not change and we do not stand in opposition to violence on our behalf- if we do not stop this war over oil- our children will inherit it. And I for one do not want to have to look at my daughter and say, "I'm sorry, I stood by and let the war rage on. Good luck with your depleted, dirty world full of violence."

Step One: Openly Oppose The War

Step Two: Reduce Your Dependency On Oil



Click Here for the Michael Klare Video

Shalom