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The Ever-Growing Risk To Humanity From The Fossil Fuel Industry

Did you ever wonder about energy? Next to nature, it’s the most powerful force on earth. It can change the course of mighty rivers. It can bend steel in its bare hands….oops sorry, that’s Superman.

But you know what. Energy is a lot like Superman. On this planet, if you control the energy you control just about everything. And when you have that control, you don’t really like the idea of giving it up.

So in order to keep that control, what do you do? Well, you could fight for it. But that would be a waste of energy in and of itself. And hey, you might not win.

So the alternative is to create an environment where nobody can live without it.

I believe that is what the fossil fuel industry did at the beginning of the industrial revolution. Before that, a lot of the energy that was generated came from water, which was basically a renewable source.

What Goes Around Comes Around

It has been said, and probably rightly so, that the fossil fuel industry controls the world. This same fossil fuel industry is also responsible for the terrible condition of our environment and, as many scientists agree, the phenomenon we know as climate change.

The entire economy of this planet has been dependent on these non-renewable sources for close to two centuries now. And although these industries have the capital and the brainpower to diversify into renewable sources like solar, wind, tide, and geothermal, they have been painfully slow in doing this or choosing to ignore the idea altogether.

The reason, pure and simple, is greed. The companies who control the fossil fuel industries are now all faceless corporations, many publicly owned, with a fanatical devotion to dividends and shareholders.

These corporations are run by people whose sole purpose is to keep them profitable. Their jobs depend on it. They go on business talk shows and explain all the initiatives they are undertaking to explore and develop alternative energy sources.

They talk a mean game. And they have been talking this mean game for quite a while. But the fact is that very little in the way of alternative energy solutions have come from these corporations.

Why? Because as long as the fossil fuel industry remains as profitable as it is, and as long as the lawmakers all over the world can be bought off to support this industry, and as long as they make a big deal out of baby steps they are taking to reduce the amount of carbon bi-product their industry creates, there is, according to their reckoning, no reason to change.

The problem with this is that it is the typical emotionless attitude that large corporations are famous for. But in this case, because it is really an issue that affects the entire planet and will for years to come.

Hope Springs Eternal

The light at the end of the tunnel is that a number of countries are now starting to recognize the need to reduce dependence on fossil fuels. But mostly these are smaller countries like Germany, Norway, Sweden, Denmark, and Great Britain.

Larger countries, especially those with corrupt or anachronistic, or corporately controlled leadership like the United States, Russia, India, and China, are the ones that need to start making bold sweeping initiatives in the direction of renewable energy. Hopefully, the examples being set by the smaller countries will help.

But at the end of the day, in addition to the fundamental belief that climate change is either a hoax or simply not a priority issue, there is still a huge amount of both corruption and bureaucratic nonsense to go through before these countries actually get around to implementing the changes required to reduce the dependence on fossil fuels to acceptable levels.

Until that time, it is predicted that the situation will only worsen, simply because most of the solutions being implemented are nothing more than a bandage on a machete wound.

What Can We Do

Anything that changes in this society is usually the direct result of public pressure.

Let your local politicians know you are concerned about this issue. I know it sounds like an empty gesture sometimes, but these people work for you, or at least they are supposed to, and the more reminders they get the more that will sink in.

You can also do the little things. One of the things that I am doing is making sure that all the tools and lawn care equipment that I own are not powered by gasoline engines. Lawnmowers, leaf blowers, and trimmers actually create an inordinate amount of carbon exhaust.

If you’re an investor, start getting behind alternative energy and transportation companies. These companies employ a lot of people and serve a lot of other people who are shrinking their carbon footprints by choosing alternative energy systems to power their homes and businesses and electric scooters and vehicles over internal combustion engines.

People Can Save The Planet.

They say that the ‘Green Movement” on the planet is the result of a whole lot of little actions that add up.

And I know that this can all sound rather gratuitous in the face of the huge environmental challenge we are facing.  Especially when you consider the amount of attitudinal, policy, and commitment change required to actualize these measures from both the fossil fuel industries and world governments.

But people can move mountains if the collective will is strong enough.

Add your voice to this issue and you will add strength to the collective will. Walk the talk by choosing more alternative energy options and you will add substance to strength.

Jim Murray
Jim Murrayhttps://www.bebee.com/@jim-murray
I have been a writer since the age of 14. I started writing short stories and poetry. From there I graduated to writing lyrics for various bands and composers and feature-length screenplays, two of which have been produced. I had a  20-year career in senior positions in Canadian and multi-national agencies and a second career, which began in 1989, (Onwords & Upwords Inc), as a strategic and creative resource. Early in 2020, I closed Onwords & Upwords and effectively retired. I am now actively engaged, through blogging and memes, in showcasing businesses that are part of the green revolution. I am also writing short stories which I will be marketing to film production companies. I live with my wife, Heather, in the beautiful Niagara Region of southern Ontario, after migrating from Toronto, where I spent most of my adult life.

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