Blog Action Day

Today is Blog Action Day, a day dedicated to bloggers around the world uniting to put a single important issue on everyone’s mind - the environment. Every participating blogger will make a post about the environment in their own way and relating to their own topic.

My personal cause has always been Global Warming. And honestly, the fact that there is still a debate over whether or not it exists is mind-boggling.

I promise I won't make a long drawn out post over why I think those who live in denial are more dangerous to the overall health of the human race than those who still support the war in Iraq. This is because I don't believe that this issue should be political at all. Al Gore, like him or not, has done an amazing job with his documentary, An Inconvenient Truth. If you haven't seen the video yet, kick yourself in the ass, then get your kicked ass in gear and over to Blockbuster.

(And if you are one of those types who refuse to admit anything created by a "liberal" can be accurate, before you go quoting the Hurricane specialist William Gray or the likes in my comment section, check these links too: #1 #2 #3.)

Back to my point: I don't believe that Global Warming is a political issue and refuse to treat it as such. Whether you agree or not, I do believe the majority of our scientists are right in that we are doing tremendous damage to our planet which when combined with the natural cycle of things has created a serious threat to the human population as a whole.

And as such, I think it's a far better idea to embrace change and do something about it than to bash Al Gore, his Nobel Peace Prize, or anyone who supports the notion of Global Warming. If we're right and we can save our planet, great! If we're wrong and Global Warming wasn't the threat we thought it was, at least all our efforts will have fast tracked our move towards energy independence. Neither are bad options.

America used to be a leader in just about every major industrial advance the world has taken. Cars, Planes, Computers, the Space Race, whatever. Renewable energy should be no different. And if we do it right, there shouldn't be any undue burden on society. These will be growth industries and new jobs will be created to offset any lost ones as old ones are phased out.

Still, there will be always be someone somewhere who will be fighting these changes as hard as they can. Whether it is an oil company, a polluting manufacturer, a deep-pocketed special interest group, or a paid-for politician, it doesn't matter. It will be a hard fight with lots of money, TV ads, and propaganda spent bashing the idea that we are threatened by Global Warming. But that doesn't change the fact that 100 years ago there was someone somewhere just as angry and fighting just as hard to protect his livelihood when the last horse drawn buggy business finally succumbed to the automobile. But life goes on and we improve as a society instead of remaining stagnant.

We need to stop politicizing this issue and treat it as nothing more than it really is: Modernization for the betterment of all.