We Can Solve It: http://www.wecansolveit.org

Listen to the except, or clink on the link at the bottom to hear and read the entire inspired challenge to Americans that Al Gore threw out on Thursday. Sound boring? It's not--really--but you don't have to listen; you can still check out the site at "visit our homepage" for simple but effective ways we can all do something to help heal the economy, the environment, and the energy crisis, before it's too late. He doesn't mention Blundervibes, but I guess we can cover that ourselves.

The energy crisis and the environmental issues we face today are byproducts of our failure as a society to maintain some basic practices common to the early half of the 20th century as well our change to a consumer society.

Prior to the 1960's recycling was very important throughout much of the US. then came the introduction of No Deposit/No Return Containers. Flip tops weren't even a better deal now the can that would be tossed aside left a pull tab for some one to step upon. The laziness of the average person leads to litter issues we face today and waste control issues which are out of control.

Even our energy demands exceed what we truely need due to marketing decisions of the 60's & 70's. Do we need whole house airconditioning when just cooling the most often used rooms would save money and energy. Even Communities which want to ban hanging laundry outside to dry because of aesthtics and property values are doing a disservice to the economy and environment.

Still, I can't put too much faith in what Mr. Gore says as he isn't even practicing reduce, reuse and recycle policies as much as he tells us we should.

Perhaps the worst offenders are the land developers though who create communities and conditions where Automobiles are essential. No allotment for pedestrian paths or bicycle paths. Markets not with in easy walking or bicycling distance.

Our communities have become vehicle dependent and that is a disservice to all.

What is even worse are the communities being built with McMansions, but well hopefully the current issues with fuel costs will soon reduce the scope of that form of ignorance.

Have a safe summer, and hopefully I didn't rub you the wrong way with my commentary.

[quote="SFC_Q"]Still, I can't put too much faith in what Mr. Gore says as he isn't even practicing reduce, reuse and recycle policies as much as he tells us we should.

Unfortunately, I feel the same. I wish someone with just as much stature in society but who practiced what they preached would do some preaching.

Well, don't kill the messenger! He is trying. In a recent interview, he's said that he's refurbed his home with solar panels, low energy lighting and all that good stuff. How many other politicos, past or present, can say that?

Another big waste is corporate America. Ever work in a warehouse or for a manufacturer or even in food production or supermarkets? Stuff gets thrown out for very little reason. The packaging is damaged, they stopped manufacturing an item, expiration dates, etc., etc. I remember seeing a news story about a woman who ran a free food pantry getting arrested for taking bread out of a supermarket dumpster that was one day past the expiration date (Yeah, I know ...legal, libel stuff). She had even asked the manager if she could have some for the pantry and was denied.

Also, because it looks good, supermarkets grossly overload produce displays forcing them to throw out half of what they order. Another good reason to shop farmer's markets.
The past two weeks we have had the best Jersey corn from our farmer's market. So juicy that even front toothless Tim had no trouble eating it.

The corn sounds yummy. I have a diabetic corn recipe I want to try when we get back from visiting Mikes sisters family in Ohio & Arlo too...

It is sad that since Jimmy Carter proposed putting together a realistic energy policy that got us on renewable energy sources as well as preserved what oil we do have left as a material instead of burning it as quickly as we can pull it from the ground that all we have really done was to teach the Arabs how to regulate oil production in a way that equilibrated the price of oil for maximum profits over the years and invested in a poorly conceived alternative agribusiness subsidy to keep fertilizer producers (oh wait that is oil companies too) and massive corporate farms solvent (no pun intended) and led to headlines saying ethanol was a great failure while real biomass conversion research withered in the fields and still the wind goes largely untapped.

But that corn sounds yummy, doesn’t it Cheryl? But that is the free market (some ritual worshiping of the god Sarcastica there).

Oh, don't forget water, it has not been managed properly either? Oh well?