Pollution is Killing You – Do Not Be Such a Lazy DumbAss!

The human race has a long history of living in denial. Despite the fact that we have known for decades that the fossil fuels we have based our entire economic and social existence on are limited, we recklessly went ahead without giving it a second thought… until now, as we face an epic crisis.

But perhaps the most tragic result of our refusal to “face the music” is with regard to the destruction of the environment, and in turn, our own health. As we have destroyed, consumed, and wasted the very resources that sustain life on our planet, we have literally jeopardized our very existence and reduced the quality of life for billions of humans and animals.

Is this an alarmist view? The crazed ranting of a treehugging granolafied Chicken Little who has bought into the unsubstantiated stories of politicians with an agenda to socialize our society? Think what you like, but there is actually substantial evidence to support the link between our wanton pollution and the decrease in life expectancy for humans.

This month, the New England Journal of Medicine published findings by the Harvard School of Public Health and Brigham Young University which concluded that people who live in metro areas where air pollution was decreased because of action by local government actually saw the life expectancy increase an average of five months. The study included over 51 U.S. cities during the 1980’s and 1990’s.

Other studies comparing countries around the world found that the country with the highest life expectancy, Japan, also had one of the lowest concentrations of air pollution. Even though the Japanese population has a higher ratio of smokers than the U.S., their general air quality was much higher.

Why is this important for us to know? Because our responsibility to ourselves and future generations is to insist that our elected officials make efforts to reduce pollution now. Life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness mean very little if you are not around long enough to enjoy them. Controlling pollution is done effectively all over the world. Yet, most government agencies will not voluntarily place restrictions on pollution until their constituencies demand it.

However, controlling pollution is only part of the equation. As individual consumers, we must do our part to reduce the carbon emissions that we produce as part of our own daily lives. Each of us only has control over our personal energy use, and whether or not we choose to use cleaner, alternative sources of energy.

The technology exists to allow all of us to utilize solar and wind power for our household and business needs. The costs associated with building and implementing these systems is minimal; and the benefits are more than monetary. As we move into the new millennium, alternative energy will be in greater demand. Even if we wanted to continue on the path of self-destruction, the fossil-based fuels that create so much of the pollution is quickly running out.

The time to act is now. We must embrace change and be prepared to educate ourselves on new ways of living and doing business. To survive as a species, we must reduce the pollution we make, find alternative ways to power our society, and refuse to continue living with our heads buried in the sands of Middle Eastern oil fields.

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Solar Power is the Future

A century ago, solar power seemed like a dream. Remember how excited everyone was when solar powered calculators were available? It seemed like such a space-age concept! Yet, the future of all energy needs for planet earth will rely heavily upon solar power. It will facilitate all aspects of our work, our home life, our education, and our farming.

With the current technology, solar power is actually able to be used today by anyone enterprising enough to set up a simple solar power system and generator at their home. There have been many books and instruction manuals created to help the average homeowner build their own solar panels and solar power system for a couple hundred dollars. With this technology, an individual can literally run their entire house on energy from the sun.

Another way that solar power creates usable energy is by heating the earth. As the air in the atmosphere heats and cools at different rates, it creates wind which can then be harvested with windmills or wind farms—vast acres of windmill which produce enough energy to run entire cities.

Considering that solar power is already so accessible, imagine what it will be like in another 10 or 20 years! The rate that technology is developing has been helped along by the energy crisis that our planet now faces. Our natural resources are dwindling, and the desperate condition of the environment, including the destruction of valuable ecosystems from global warming has given a boost to the alternative energy industry.

Once governments and big businesses start putting the full weight of their influence and financing behind this technology, it will flourish in ways we never thought possible. Solar panels will decrease in size, yet produce more energy. The energy will be converted easily and seamlessly into our existing home energy structures, and we will be able to store excess energy in a clean, compact way for our future needs.

Without a doubt, solar power is the future of planet earth. The sun produces enough free energy to allow all of us as much as we need to live and work. So many of the social, economic, and political problems we face today are a direct result of the fight over oil and other non-renewable resources. As we face a future of clean, abundant, renewable energy, it seems that life will be much brighter for planet earth and those who inhabit it.

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