Green Revolution

This past year we have seen society, government, and business become more aware and involved in the Green Revolution. This phenomenon is an interesting one because it takes place within a presidential administration towards the beginning was for support of big oil and only in recent years has become more outspoken about energy research, especially biofuels. The support for biofuels is not at all that surprising given the politics and subsidies behind much of the US agriculture industry, however. I believe there are several major factors driving this Green Revolution. One, I think that society is becoming more aware of the consequences of our consumption and industry on the environment and society is starting to worry that it is having a negative effect on the Earth. Two, I think that business are seeing this increasing market that is interested in doing something or feel like it is doing something to benefit the environment, so it is thus responding to that demand through production and advertising. And three, I believe governments around the world are becoming increasingly worried about the consequences of a major breakdown of the energy industry as much of the world is powered by oil and much of the oil is owned or located in hostile or inaccessible environments, whether that be unstable countries or economically infeasible geologic locations.

The third one of the list is the hardest to unveil. The first two on the list, the social and industry awareness of the issue, are obvious because we run into both everyday. Government is something, at least in the US, that we don't have to be involved in on a daily basis. Many people also are not very interested in understanding the difficult geopolitical dynamics of the world and all the issues that are talked about in the news everyday because people have "their own problems." This isn't to say that many people don't have a good reason for watching the news or trying to follow the complexties of the energy industry in the framework of a harsh foreign relations environment. Many people have jobs, sometimes two, that require them to expend so much of their own mental energy that paying attention to the news is just too much. The other major reason I believe is behind the uninformed and uninvolved participation in this is is that many people just don't care.

This uncaring is exactly at the interface of the government and the public. Demand that our politicians talk about the energy issue more and more is not futile. Many believe that they have no influence on politics and shaping the leadership and decisions our country makes. This persistance of the environmental and renewable energy movement and the plain facts of the situation have come together to show that public persistance on important issues can have serious consequences in the way our great democracy works. Go out and demand greater things from yourself, your communities and your politicians, and you'll make the world a better place.