Who Gives a Shit About Global Warming?

Fine, go ahead and think that global warming is some kind of left-wing conspiracy. At this point, it doesn’t really matter. The evidence that proves continuing to rely on oil and coal for our energy needs is unsustainable is being broadcast on cable and the internet every day. Sure, ecological catastrophes like the BP Gulf Coast oil spill have been happening in places like Nigeria for years but Americans are a NIMBY kind of people and until it affects our oysters on the half shell or Redneck Riviera getaways we could give a shit less. We may put up with poisoned environments in places like Appalachia or Brownsville, Texas but by god, not where we have our vacation home!

I’m not saying we should all give away our cars and start using only solar and wind energy tomorrow but Jesus Christ, can we at least acknowledge that something needs to be done? Monsanto is feeding our citizens food stuff that is rapidly becoming something one step up from soylent green, Massey Energy is lopping off our mountain tops and dumping them into our streams and BP Oil has managed to destroy the fishing and tourism industries in the Gulf Coast for years to come. And that’s not even mentioning the dead plants, animals and people that these toxic industries leave in their wake. How the fuck is this cost effective? And I know that nuclear energy is touted as the new green solution but I don’t buy it. Just like the BP disaster, all it takes is one perfect storm of human fuckups to turn a large part of our country into a vast wasteland.

The President’s Cancer Panel finally admitted that we’re being bombarded with cancer-causing chemicals every day and the industries that we rely on for our energy needs are a big part of the problem. When I was growing up, they taught me that America was the leader of the free world. Well all right, lead! Bite the bullet and fund the programs and research that will bring our country back to being number one in things like life expectancy, educational level attained, and environmental beauty. It reminds me of that study where the kids were offered one marshmallow right away or two if they could wait 15 or 20 minutes. Finding alternative energy sources may cost a little more in the short term, but in the long run, your children and grandchildren will have a lot bigger marshmallow to share.