oil or nothing

The current administration has overridden objections by New Mexico’s governor, and the Interior Department announced a final plan Monday for expanding oil and gas drilling on Otero Mesa, a rare desert grassland and one of a handful of places in the western U.S. where opposition to drilling had united ranchers, property rights advocates, hunters and conservationists. The state’s interest (and the governor’s) is being disregarded and a natural area of America is being exploited.
We can invest in alternative energies and energy technologies, as an alternative to hyper-dependence on oil.
If you’ve never traveled out to these national parks and previously protected natural areas, I advise you to do so and realize the natural beauty of this country. If you don’t pay attention, these areas will be exploited and you won’t have a chance to visit them. Maybe that’s something that won’t really matter as we comfortably drive around in our combustion engine vehicles. It’s something to think about though: for what price am I willing to drive my SUV? Can I not at least reduce my oil consumption and use alternative transportation just once a week?
I’ve been out to allot of these areas out west and elsewhere in the USA and I can tell you personally that they are all exquisite and, unfortunately, irreplaceable. They hold value to us as citizens by their magnitude, uniqueness, aesthetic beauty and environmental relevance. These areas are protected because they are an asset to this country. They are, in part, what makes this country the best in the world.
We need power and lots of it to fuel this country, but is it best to be oil-dependent? The decision to continue to rely heavily on oil is a short-sighted one. I wonder how much longer we can afford to continue a complete or near complete reliance on oil. I think this country is capable of more invention than do our current power supplies indicate. We established ourselves as the world’s economic powerhouse in large part because of our innovation. We don’t have to settle–in deed, we have rarely ever settled–for the status quo. Why would we settle now–are we lazy? I’d say that to deny the healthy chance for us to innovate is just plain un-American. We can do better than settle for drilling precious natural areas. I believe we are capable of much greater things than that. I really believe that.
I know some of you reading this hear my appeal. Some of you have experienced these natural areas and understand their profound meaning. You are not going to allow a short-term ideology destroy a natural resource we borrow from our children. You will not condone such short-sighted decisions. As Americans we deserve better and can do better.
Save America the beautiful,
rickymay