How much are people willing to pay for the wars and starvation and just plain impossible circumstances that will occur if global warming proceeds to the ends that are predicted. The problem is that the costs come out of different pockets. Those same people who only make a bit will go out and buy a large pickup, SUV, or large sedan, even though they know that the vehicle will cost them a ton to drive. But, they are comfortable with that type of vehicle…better the burdens we choose than those imposed on us by conditions…not really. I think that anybody who cares can know what electricity is costing them, and what gasoline is costing them. The problem is that people really only care that life be what they are used to. It takes leadership and education to overcome that inertia. In reality, there is no static world anywhere, and the places where things are most static are the sources of the greatest problems on the planet. The planet itself moves and changes under us…there is no solid Earth, but we want there to be. Again, we must educate people to understand that the only thing that is constant is change. If they learn that from birth, they will then be able to move more quickly and with less pain into the future.

Our nation itself was part of one of the greatest changes of all times, the Reformation and the industrial revolution that followed it. And yet, now, we want to stop things right there where we gained the ascendancy. The rest of the world will not allow that, and we are not powerful enough to hold them off forever. We can either grow and change and educate ourselves in the way that the rest of the world is or we can lose out. After all, they are really only following what they perceive as our example.,,and they are hungrier than we are.

In 1998 a financial crisis began in Thailand and swept the world markets. At that time there were 1 billion consumers. Today there are 3 billion consumers and almost 4 billion more that still have never made a phone call and live without electricity.

When I was born in 1956 the world population was nearing 3 billion. 52 years later the world population is almost 7 billion and may reach 9 billion before I die. It is not possible for 3 billion people to consume resources at the rate that Americans consume resources.

There is no such thing as clean coal. Electricity is clean only because we pretend that there is no connection between the polution, destruction of the environment, machines of war and social injustice required to protect distant supplies.

Environmental degradation, peak oil/coal, energy security and social justice are all current issues that must be addressed by robust public discussion. Discover would do its readers a great service by dedicating many issues to educating us about the real possibilites for a new energy future that are available to us today with current technologies.

I think the people of the world will make much smarter choices when we are properly informed and educated about the true cost of our lifestyle. We will make better decisions about our energy choices and continue to prosper.

Chris