Let's wage war for energy independence

Rosemary Sullivan

At no time has the relationship between the environment, the economy and the military been more apparent than these last weeks and months.

It is impossible to believe that the military action in the Persian Gulf was to “stop the madman Hussein”. The “Coalition Forces” climbed into bed with Syria to get Hussein out of Kuwait.

Syria's leader has committed just as many horrible violations as Hussein. Syria in fact has put a puppet government in Lebanon as of last October.

Many experts propose that Hussein was following the historical patterns of the region; no reason for world intervention, except that his actions threatened the industrial world's access to oil supplies.

As Friends of the Earth remind us, we have an opportunity to let our representatives know that we want them to wage a “war for energy independence.....

The industrial world is held captive to the whims of various Middle East dictators, theocrats and feudal monarchs for one reason alone our dependence on imported oil.

By eliminating that dependence, we would defuse the political and military tinderbox that is threatening the world. And we would prevent dictators from buying the world's most advanced military technology with revenues raised at gas pumps in Montreal, Des Moines, Tokyo and Berlin.”

“Earthwords” confirm that Bush, a Texas oil man, dismantled the United States conservation and alternative-energy programs while he was Vice-President under Reagan, and Mulroney did the same thing.

“Since 1984 Ottawa has cut the budget for energy conservation and renewable energy programs by 93%. The cost for just one CF-18 is more than Ottawa spends annually on research and development on energy efficiency and all renewable energy technologies.”
Changes need to be made on all levels of how we live, consume and settle conflicts over energy and resources or any issue.

But on the level of policy and practice, our governments also need to change. They are the biggest consumers of energy and they decide what we all do. Just one space shot lets off more polluting gases than all the cars in America in one year....

Excerpted From The Record, “Pigeon Hill Peacemaking Centre pour la paix” newsletter dated Mar. 22, 1991

Direct comments and enquiries to Pigeon Hill Peacemaking Centre pour la paix, 1965 Ch. St. Armand, St. Armand, P.Q. J0J 1T0

(CX5090)

Subject Headings

• Energy Policy
• Energy Security

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