Déjà Vu?
By Jeffrey Barrie
The ships were on their way. Exploratory oil drilling was set to begin this spring off the coast of America’s Arctic coast in Alaska. Then the gulf oil disaster struck. The Arctic drilling plan was postponed by President Obama.
It is another case of history repeating. In the 1980s, President Reagan approved a congressional measure to allow oil drilling on the tundra of America’s Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. The oil industry celebrated, and was prepared to begin the exploration.
Then the Exxon Valdez oil disaster struck. The oil drilling plan in the Arctic was shelved and has been banned since.
Could the universe be telling us something, or simply intervening to stop us from bad ideas? I do believe in signals that guide our highest good, and throughout history, the signals have been clear. It is time to change our course.
That the disasters are growing in size and severity is no coincidence. In December 2009, more than a billion gallons of coal ash sludge spilled into the Clinch River in Tennessee. In October 2001, more than 300 million gallons of coal slurry contaminated more than 100 miles of the Big Sandy River in Kentucky. On a daily basis, we see destruction taking place in the mountains of Appalachia as mountain top removal is decimating vast acres of mountains.
There is no need to blame anyone for these disasters, for most of us support these energy sources every time we flip a switch, power up, or turn the ignition. We are collectively responsible.
I believe the answer is to become good stewards, which means taking steps to reduce usage of these energy sources. Drive less, eat less meat, turn off the lights and electronics when not in use. Make progress. Reduce does not mean to do without. Even just a 10% reduction in energy usage is good progress.
The first step is to make a commitment to pay attention and do the best you can to be a good steward. Vocalizing your commitment to another person makes it stronger. The next step is to take every energy-saving opportunity that presents itself. Don’t stop living, but take notice, and do what you can. I do believe when we collectively adopt a culture of good stewardship we will see the world transform in beautiful ways. The alternative leaves much to be desired.
For more ideas, visit our website and watch my documentary at http://www.KilowattOurs.org
About Jeffrey Barrie:
Jeff Barrie’s dream is to build an energy conservation nation by working with households, businesses, schools and communities to reduce their energy usage. Jeff has been producing independent documentary films since 1993, films that show how we are all part of the solution to environmental challenges. His latest film and non-profit project Kilowatt Ours features an award-winning documentary film, a curriculum for K-12 schools, and a new energy savings workshop series for low-income communities in partnership with NES (Nashville Electric Service). Jeff is working on a new film project called “Pedaling a Dream” which he hopes will motivate more people to become involved in creating the clean, green world of our dreams. Jeff lives in Nashville with his wife and co-star of Kilowatt Ours, Heather, and their two daughters.
