Weshouldchampion theenvironment

It’s great to see folks sharing ideas about cleaning up our environment through use reduction, heat pumps, more efficient vehicles.

Alas, not everybody is on side, and there is an endless blame game.

The environmental movement is quite correct: we need to stop contaminating and destroying our planet home, the sooner the better.

First, get off coal, which is 10 times as carbon intensive as natural gas. Next, gradually reduce reliance on fossil fuels for industry and transportation, and eventually reduce use of natural gas and propane.

It is comforting to believe that the environmental movement is driving up the price of fossil fuels, but that is just not true. It is demand resulting from the reopening of economies following COVID that is driving fuel prices.

Our current economy is set up to use fossil fuels in industry, heating, heavy transport and personal vehicles.

In our colder climate, we can do less than sunbelt places to get off oil, but we can still do our part. Not everyone can add solar panels to our roofs, but some can and should. Not everybody can have an electric car for urban runabout and a gas guzzler for longer or winter trips, but some can and should.

Not everyone can be a champion for the environment, but everybody should be.

Individuals cannot control the world, or Putin, or the oil sheiks. But, we can take individual action, group action, even national action to do what we can within the limits of our climate, resources, technologies and wealth.

Throwing arms in the air, blaming, denying responsibility, just doom us to failing the planet and our own grandkids.

Have hope, recycle and reuse, ride more and drive less, retrofit your home, buy a hybrid. Do what you can for the environment and encourage others to join you.

Be a difference-maker.

Richard W. Hall Penticton