See the USA in you…?
Commentary by JoELLEN
COLLINS
This New Year
I'm resolved to start my own version of WWII's Victory Garden. Instead of
growing vegetables, I'll work on cutting down on my share of the growth of our
country's dependence on oil.
There is a novel
movement afoot to broadcast the non-news that we are wasting our resources. It
asks us to consider this: "What kind of car would Jesus drive?' While I
initially snickered at the image, I realized the campaign's proponents are dead
serious, and that they do have a point. The thought of the robed and sandal-clad
Jesus getting into one of our sleek new autos might be silly, but it does seem
obvious that that He certainly wouldn't choose a gas guzzler, that He would find
alternate means of transportation and would be considerate of the environment. I
can't picture Buddha in a car either, but the point is apt. I imagine that
Muhammed would also approve of some restraint in depleting the resources of the
world.
We are certainly
people on the go. Growing up in the Los Angeles area convinced me that a car was
essential, and I shared my state's love of the open road. For a short time in
the early 90s I was without a vehicle and felt trapped. Lately, however, I am
convinced that we all owe our country and ourselves some weaning from the
indulgent headiness of mobility we seem to have embraced. It is even more
essential now to drive less and save more fuel.
I say this,
understand, from the viewpoint of one who has just recently started to own
less-fuel-efficient vehicles as my concern for safety on icy roads has
escalated. I used to drive Toyotas or Volkswagens designed to make an owner
smile at the pump. My last car, a small white one, was nearly overrun several
times by large SUV drivers who didn't see me in the snow. So I admit to some
satisfaction with my nice semi-new mid-sized SUV. Even in sunny California,
driving a small car can be risky on freeways. There is a reason that people
check out crash protection features in Consumer Reports before purchasing new
cars and then spend a lot on Volvos or Mercedes SUVs.
I have recently
come across several other items that nudged my conscience about saving
petroleum.
Thomas Friedman,
in "Longitudes and Attitudes," the remarkable collection of his New
York Times columns, makes a strong argument for individual responsibility in the
face of our dependence on Middle Eastern oil. In "Ask Not What" he
extols the inherent goodness of Americans. In order to face the new challenges
we face after September 11 (an event he refers to as the start of World War
III), he foresees that a call for sacrifice on the part of American citizens
would be eagerly met. Just as in WWII the home front sacrificed comforts for the
larger cause, so will we if called upon. Perhaps we could begin steps so that
"the Americans who are 5 percent of the world's population don't continue
hogging 25 percent of the world's energy."
I had always
considered environmental reasons for less dependence on oil, but here is a
really immediate approach to the war on terrorism. The rationing and meatless
Fridays of WWII could be revived in a different form such as cutting down fuel
consumption by 10 percent. Perhaps if each of the millions of my fellow citizens
would conserve fuel by even that small percentage, we might see some slight and
positive change in the dynamics of world politics. At least, I thought, this is
something I can do, concretely, in a world which seems to be more and more out
of control--or at least out of my control.
We have other
transportation options, of course: the KART and Peak buses and car-pooling are
starts. But others beckon. I saw a television segment on the remarkable new
machine called the Segue, a one-person mobile unit that could revolutionize the
way we get around. It looked tempting: I wish they were available already. I'm
also considering something like my daughter's new Vespa scooter, at least for
non-icy times running errands around town.
California is
embarking on a major pilot project with ethanol and electric-powered vehicles. I
read of the benefits of the hybrid car in the December 4 issue of this paper and
was encouraged to consider the feasibility of a vehicle like the combo
electric-motor-and-gasoline-engine Toyota Prius.
I'm also enough
of a realist to know that giving up a percentage of time spent in the private
places we call cars isn't going to be easy. We don't even want to limit our use
of a cell phone in the car, much less the use of the cars themselves. A recent
study totaled the costs of accidents caused by inattentive driving while under
the influences of cell phones. Respondents claimed that the costs were worth the
risks. But the flaw of the survey was assigning value as dollars spent. What
about the lives lost and the stunning toll on loved ones of those accidents?
We should
seriously think about some of the things that happen because of our further
insulation inside our motorized behemoths. I, for one, am re-evaluating my
dependence on my SUV. This New Year I'm resolved to start my own version of
WWII's Victory Garden. Instead of growing vegetables, I'll work on cutting down
on my share of the growth of our country's dependence on oil.