Oil

A lot has gone on this past week, but what I think has really struck me is the increase cost of gas and the subsequent push to drill for oil in the Alaskan wilderness.

This is one of those things I have no answers to or even suggestion for. I have to drive to work so I need fuel. I need tires and oil. I heat my home. I have all the typical electrical devices, and in many cases more than one of them. I use pharmaceuticals. My shoes have rubber soles. I am a consumer of petroleum and I don’t want to pay anymore than necessary for these things.

I try to be conservative. I drive a car that gets 35 miles a gallon to work. I buy only cotton clothes and soft goods. I try to keep the heat down and conserve electricity. I’m not as good about recycling as I should be but I try not to waste.

So what is the answer? I feel I’m fairly typical. Do I support increased drilling in pristine wilderness so I can continue my standard of living? And will drilling in these remote places really help reduce the dependency I as an American have on foreign oil. Will this drilling give me a false sense of security, allowing me to continue as I am, not looking for alternatives? Are these not some of the questions that were asked in the 70’s?

As I have said I have no answers, but the questions I ask myself may help me make decisions that are more earth friendly.