Patriot act

February 1, 2006 2 Comments

It’s official - we’re addicted to oil.
Sad but true. Who might’ve guessed?
Stop pointing fingers for a minute, be a good American, and help your President reduce our dependency on fossil fuels.

Some simple ideas:

• (Don’t) bag it - When you buy breath mints at the drugstore, do you really need that bag? Many plastics are byproducts of petroleum, and bags usually end up being used for only a few minutes. Save your receipt and stick your purchases in your backpack. Buy reusable cloth bags for your grocery shopping. They won’t tear like plastic does… promise!
• Walk - If you’re lucky enough to live in a cool city like we do, enjoy it at less than 35 MPH. It’ll do your heart good, too.
• Bike - It’s just as fun as when you were a kid, and no harmful emissions. Some suggestions on biking in Chicago.
• Carpool - We know it’s a lot to ask to give up cars altogether, so share rides when you can like they (tried to do) in the ‘70’s. You can even share a car.
• Ride - Support funding for public transportation. A single urban highway interchange costs taxpayers $100 million (yes, the link is pessimistic - help change that). Light rail and bus systems are not cheap either, but a severe imbalance in priorities isn’t a good excuse.
• Encourage - The debates rage on about whether alternative energy sources such as biofuels (like ethanol) or solar, wind and geothermal power are feasible and cost-effective. The answers depend on our priorities, and with cheap and stinky oil looking less attractive, it’s time to rethink them.
• Innovate - rather than bemoan a major economic shift toward the unknown, there are examples of companies small and large creating new or better ways to run stuff. The U.S. led the world a century ago in inventing ways of doing things and will once again.

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