Its time to get political

I don't watch nature shows anymore. I don't read most articles about our collapsing environment either. Its just too painful and I can't take it anymore. I don't want to live in a world without wild polar bears. So I support Nature Conservancy and the Essex Country Field Naturalists'. Every year I add more native plants to my small backyard.

But I know I need to do more.

I think we've picked most of the low-hanging fruit when it comes to reducing our environmental footprint of our family. Our house is an older, tree-filled neighbourhood with a lawn small enough to cut with a push-mower. We compost. We recycle. Last year we replaced our furnace with an energy efficient module and did an energy audit on how house to identify leaks. We live close enough to work that we could bike the commute if necessary (but since we take our toddler to daycare, we do drive). I'm replacing the burn-out bulbs with energy efficient ones and am saving up to do the same once a large appliance goes. I travel by plane only once a year - and that's within the continent. I work for a university library and my partner owns a store in the local farmers market. There's still more to be done, but my goal is to live modestly - not austerely.

Now to move the work from the private sphere into the public. For me, I think its time to bring the level of engagement and scope up a degree of magnitude. But collective action in environmental matters is surprisingly very hard to do. And yet the potential energy that is wants to be of use is massive. I know that there are so many others who are like me and who want a way to do more in this world. There has to be something more than making a good example out of yourself.

There are 1443 active individuals committed to a World Without Oil. Suppose everyone of them was willing to give up $1000 to the cause. Suddenly there is 1.4 million dollars to start up something wonderful. But what would it be - where would it go and who would benefit first? Who gets what when and how is my favourite definition of Politics. There's a surprisingly little politics in the World Without Oil.  I've only been able to find one instance in which someone suggests that we contact our political representative to act on our behalf. You already have a political representative at your city, state, and national level. You should talk to them - they work for you.

Two of humanity's greatest sins - slavery and apartheid - were enshrined in law through politics and abolished in law through politics. There will be politics in a world without oil.