A Stark Reality

What devastation man has wrought unto this planet! The recent carnage in the Gulf of Mexico is only a prelude to a more destructive Armageddon type disaster that will occur if nations particularly the United States continue on their path of denial and apathy in regards to the environment of this planet. The audacity, the wonton greed, the selflessness of corporations, and the blatant disregard for nature have left the earths natural life's cycles so convoluted and disruptive the very planet we all call home is now faced with almost irreversible damage. The Deep Horizon Oil Rig was just a prime example of how corporations such as BP in their over zealous nature risk life and the environment just to garnish more profits, power and now has left mankind on the brink of self destruction.

Had the United States stepped up to the plate back in 1974 when were faced with our first real energy crisis America would now be energy independent and lead the world in safe green technologies. But, our major oil conglomerate and the strong auto industry back then thwarted any attempt at developing and the implementation of none fossil fuels. Those corporations along with the United States government actually made it so cost prohibitive to move away from our current energy policy that eventually green technology was pushed so far back it has taken over 30 years for green energy technologies to really emerge again. To make up for lost time countries like Japan followed by most of the European countries and now China are leading the way to a much safer world and greater economic opportunities. The United States meanwhile is still stuck in the 20th century when it comes to energy policies. So sluggish and almost futile attempts by our congress in altering and changing our current energy policy is putting us and  the rest of the world in grave danger. But, the way our whole political process is conducted almost every congressman from Senators to Representatives are somehow connected to the oil industry for campaign contributions. To continue to self-perpetuate themselves in office has left the United States so far behind in energy development that it is leaving the America public facing the burden of ever increasing energy costs while at the same time continuing to endanger the environment.

Maybe this most recent crisis in the Gulf will serve as a real wake up call here in the United States. The damage still is to having an impact on economies all over the region. From Louisiana to Florida the after effects are still evident today. Contrary to what was reported in the news that disaster was only the tip of the iceberg of disasters that will happen if policies don't change. One more disaster like the one of last year in the Gulf will have lasting economic and environmental repercussions for decades to come.

When the United States government conveyed that BP had assumed all costs related to this catastrophe it is the public that did and still does bare the burden with higher utility bills, higher food prices, more for fuel for transportation, and in general a much higher cost of living will ensue. All of this will concur with a continued escalation of unemployment. A continued downward economic domino effect resulting in our society wallowing in economic uncertainty pushing any hope for a renewal of prosperity further away from becoming a reality for most Americans. All because of governments failure in not encouraging more businesses to development more affordable green energy fuel sources. To continue to rely on imported oil instead of developing our own fuel sources only exasperates the current economic crisis we are in today. 

With so much attention focused on the Gulf of Mexico another economic crisis that will if not has already affected the United States and the rest of the world is being played out in Greece. Unlike the United States when our government and the Federal Reserve bailed out the financial, the auto and the large home construction industries Greece has to rely on the IMF and the World Bank to inject billions into their unstable government to subsidize budget shortfalls. Already the United States with mounting budget deficits in practically every state along with Greece, interest rates will eventually have to increase. Let's hope it's not so high that it will eliminate further easing of credit that is so vital for any economic expansion to take place. So far in the United States credit is still very hard to secure and in Greece now it is impossible to get. The IMF and the World Bank are still trying to keep infusing funds into the Geek government to help ease and lessen the credit crisis from spreading.

With the economic troubles in Greece, the rest of Europe and last years environmental crisis in the Gulf the United States along with the rest of the world are now faced with a real quandary. To thwart any further deterioration of economies the United Sates must initiate a complete new energy policy along with a National Economic Reform agenda. The Pickens plan for energy independence is crucial in ushering in a new energy policy. With National Economic Reform a creation of numorous public works projects will be established which will reduce unemployment rates to under 4% in every state while at the same time rebuild the deterioration of the nations infrastructure. Similar public works projects in other countries like Greece and the European nations will also eliminate most of the budget shortfalls that are currently plaguing those nations with unemployment rates in excess of 6%. Along with policies that set standards for all oil producing corporations like those that are currently in place in Europe with the oil rigs in the North Sea will now be enforced globally so that another Gulf oil spill or any spill of toxic substance will never occur any where on this planet.