One Member's
Stand:
War, Oil and Conservation
by Paul Tick
You probably know that our war in Afghanistan and potential wars in other countries are related to terrorism and (fill in the blank) ____________:
A. The inherent evil of other cultures
B. Other cultures' jealousy that we have more shopping malls
C. The politics of oil
If you guessed (A) or (B), then you're probably getting your news from the TV or the Times Union. If you guessed (C), then you may already know that oil companies have had their eye on Afghanistan since long before the tragic events of September 11, that our interest in Iraq is related to oil, that the oil companies have made out like bandits from the economic stimulus package recently pushed by the Bush administration. You know that Bush and the oil companies can't wait to drill in the Arctic, and that they are using the war as a new rationalization to try to do so.
You can take some simple steps to help make our country less dependent on oil (and other fossil fuels), and therefore less likely to go to war for it and less wanting to drill in the Arctic.
Reduce, Reuse &
Recycle
- Give up your minivan, SUV, or pickup and get a
fuel-efficient vehicle.
- Walk, use bicycles, car pool, use public
transportation.
- Avoid malls and shop in locally owned stores.
- Buy goods that are locally produced.
- Insulate and weather-strip your house,
especially your attic.
- Plant shade trees for the summer and avoid air
conditioning.
- Buy appliances that are energy-efficient.
- Turn off your computer when you're not using
it.
- Consider going solar.
- Buy as much as possible from the bulk section
of the Coop.
- State your opposition to the use of the war as
an excuse to drill in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. There's only
enough oil there to last for about six months, and simply improving
vehicle fuel efficiency would save much more oil than we could get from
the Wildlife Refuge.
Contact:
President George W. Bush
The White House
1600 Pennsylvania Avenue
Washington DC 20500
(202) 224-3121
president@whitehouse.gov
U.S. Senators Hillary Rodham Clinton / Charles Schumer
U.S. Senate Office Building
Washington, DC 20510
Congressman Michael McNulty
U.S. House of Representatives
Washington, DC 20515
One
Member's Stand is a forum for our members' concerns. We welcome your
submission.
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