by Ralph Lawrence

Created on: June 17, 2008   Last Updated: August 14, 2008

AT THE BREAST OF MOTHER OIL

Does anyone remember the perceived Armageddon which the new millennium was destined to wreak? Prognosticators bemoaned the expected tumult with computers refusing to reset, banks and government frozen in time, trains, planes and automobiles sitting fallow because travel would be impossible or impractical. Many scenarios were presented, usually with frightening outcomes. At its appointed time, Big Bang came and passed with virtually zero consequences. Our comfortable way of life was not compromised. The world had been technologically redeemed.

Fast forward to the present, another crisis of monumental proportion is facing the earth, this time with dire results. The world's chosen benefactress, Mother Oil, is slowly losing her ability to feed our childish appetite, which is growing at an alarming rate. The goddess sees the population explosion, the industrial complex reinvigorated and the environment unable to support an unquenchable thirst for energy. Now, without a reversal, redemption will be impossible. Our life, our comfort and our sanctuary shall disappear in a cloud of noxious breath. We need solutions, and we need them today.

Everyone speaks to a commitment for alternative sources of energy and conservation measures. While they might offer small benefit, a permanent and bold long-term solution is vital. We have the ability to create it, but do we have the will? President John Kennedy committed us to a ten year dream, one that most thought unachievable. We achieved that goal in nine years. It was the stuff from which dreams were made, the right stuff. Now, our existence depends on an even greater commitment. For this, sacrifices will be necessary. The reward will be great.

We need to eliminate the Internal Combustion Engine from the face of the earth. Obliterate it! This nondescript piece of machinery bears the dubious distinction of being the major consumer of all petroleum products. More than half of the world's oil production goes toward making gasoline and diesel fuels. The combustion engine is responsible for the father of all greenhouse gases, carbon dioxide. In addition, this fossil fuel, like most others, demands the scarring of the earth's countenance with exploration and drilling in sensitive and prized ecological areas. All for the sake of our automobiles, this badge of affluence comes with a huge price tag.

A comprehensive plan would begin with the total ban of any automobile using gasoline after a twelve year moratorium.

• 1
• 2
• Next Page >>