| If North America (in this case the United States and Mexico) and China continue to destroy the world, then who cares who made that gas guzzling car you are driving. If we continue to use more and more oil, the global market becomes less and less sound. Does the environment trump consumer purchasing priorities? On the other hand, what if Americans began to support the production of American made hybrids? Would this create the needed economic incentive for Ford, GM, and the rest to produce more?
As Bill Bradley points out in his latest book, "The New American Story", perhaps it is time for a new way of thinking. Perhaps there is way to develop political consensus around any issues unless we develop a national consensus too. Can we all agree that the environment needs protecting? Can we get American companies to start helping in the cause?
Maybe we take Bradley's consensus driven political ideology and use John Kerry's latest environmental action plan. Kerry focuses his book, "This Moment on Earth" as an action oriented primer to start fixing our problems rather than wait for government to do it for us. As the often used Margaret Mead quote says, "A small group of thoughtful people could change the world. Indeed, it's the only thing that ever has."
So lets rally together and start fixing our environmental problems.
Does that mean if we stop the coal plants in Texas that I can go buy a Hummer? The offsets must make it okay. Wait, that is just more American rationalization. Instead of doing one good thing to do a bad thing, why not just do two things that help fix our increasing global problem.
Clearly Americans and Texans need to do more. It shouldn't be for me to decide whether I want to help the American economy OR help the global environment. If American automakers can start making cars to simple specifications, I will buy an American hybrid over any other. All things being equal, I will continue to buy American first, but American companies must become more green.
I am a holistic believer that supporting American companies is good. Helping grow our GDP means, in theory, more jobs with higher pay. It means better technology and less outsourcing of American jobs. While the American economy needs to be strengthened, our global economy must be preserved.
If our environment continues to deteriorate who cares what car I buy. If our oceans rise, and our air is unbreathable, what does it matter if anything I buy is American or not. My challenge to American automakers, become more competitive with Japanese hybrids. My challenge to American companies, take the green approach. My hope for us is we will stop doing just the easy things and we will challenge ourselves to make a difference today.
In a year or two when I buy my next car, the environment will be the only thing I think about. If an American car is equal to, or better than any other model, that is the car I will buy. |
