Opinion: Australia bests the US on global warming

Nina Hall

Australia's electorate overwhelmingly voted recently, in a excitingly refreshing about-face, to throw out Howard and replace him with a liberal who promised his very FIRST action in office will be to sign the Kyoto Protocol. Why can't this happen in the US? I find it pathetic and shameful that the US is now a worldwide embarrassment for holding out as the ONLY industrialized nation to refuse to sign the Kyoto protocol. I find it equally pathetic and shameful that Congress hasn't yet passed an energy bill that slaps the oil industry with a windfall profit tax, which could more than pay for development and roll-out of alternative, clean, renewable energy solutions.

The Congress has not only had its hands tied with its oil-soaked contributions from lobbying buddies who have prevented passing a windfall profit tax, but these lobbyists are also preventing passage of ANY renewable energy legislation. I find this utterly appalling. We MUST change NOW, like Australia, to a more proactive leadership who will not shirk from taking decisive, sweeping action to curb global warming. The planet is in deep trouble right now, and getting worse, and we want to save it need to fearlessly embark on establishing and increasing renewable energy resources, never turning back to oil, coal or other polluting forms of energy.

Meanwhile, we are stuck in the vacuum of Congressional inaction. There is still something we can do. Every American citizen can start their own personal campaign to combat global warming. We can't afford to wait for stalled legislation to catch up to us. We must not let them get the best of us, but rather, set an example for others to follow. We can purchase Hybrid cars, like the Toyota Prius, carpool, or even better, use public transportation when possible. Try carpooling or using public transportation just one day a week! We can buy more efficient appliances, especially refrigerators, which consume the most energy of all appliances. We can buy newer water heaters. Even doing something seemingly insignificant, like replacing incandescent bulbs with compact florescent bulbs, can help tremendously if many people do it. Energy conservation at home saves everyone money too.

Think about it!