The oil disaster in the Gulf of Mexico should pose a number of questions for Americans to ask themselves. 

What if we prioritized quality of life and the sustainability of our planet over corporate greed?  What if we stopped treating our oceans, lakes and streams as landfills?  What if we stopped treating our planet’s resources as if there’s a limitless supply?  What if we stopped treating everything, including other species, as disposable? 

What if we didn’t have such an insatiable appetite for oil?  What if we quit buying large, gas guzzling cars and bought smaller, more efficient ones?  What if we each cut out one unnecessary trip a week?  What if we replaced long haul trucking with a modern rail system?  What if we manufactured most of what we need in our own country instead of shipping it halfway around the world?  What if we committed to a modern mass transit system? What if our Congress created subsidies for renewable energy that equaled those for oil and coal? 

What if we had listened to Jimmy Carter when he called for oil independence in the late 70s?  What if we had listened to Ronald Reagan when he did the same in the 80s?  What if we listened to George H.W. Bush’s call for energy independence?  What if we listened to Bill Clinton’s?  What if we listen to President Obama’s call for green energy today? 

What if we don’t? 

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