Thought for Today
“It is by riding a bicycle
that you learn the contours of a country best,
since you have to sweat up the hills
and coast down them.
Thus you remember them as they actually are,
while in a motor car only a high hill impresses you,
and you have no such accurate remembrance of country
you have driven through as you gain by riding a bicycle.”
~Ernest Hemingway~

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Recently I received an email encouraging me not to purchase gas today. This seems to be a movement aimed at punishing the gas companies for their obscene profits as gas prices continue to soar. While I have no qualms with punishing these oil companies, as I see it this is a feeble attempt at best. Most people who are participating in this protest I suspect filled their tanks yesterday or are going to tomorrow, so how has this really punished the oil companies.I personally see the soaring gas prices as a reason to reduce my dependence on gas and driving. I make sure now if I consume gas that it really is a necessary trip. Could I accomplish the same task either by walking or riding my bicycle. This in turn also helps the environment by reducing my impact on global warming. If we all would reduce our normal gas consumption by just 10% this over a period of time would have a much greater impact on the oil companies gross profits.

We all could take steps to reduce our consumption even more just by taking simple small steps. Car pooling or taking public transportation on our daily commute to work. Carrying our lunches or walking to a nearby restaurant for lunch instead of driving. Combining errands instead of making multiple trips, how many times have we driving by the market on our way home only later to return to fetch that gallon of milk.

Reducing our dependence on gas should have a far greater importance than punishing the big oil companies. We should reduce our dependence on gas because it is the right thing to do. If we adopt this philosophy the oil companies will feel the impact. My greatest hope is that these oil companies will use these obscene profits to find and invest in alternative sources of fuel and energy.

Thought for Today
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
When all the trees have been cut down,
when all the animals have been hunted,
when all the waters are polluted,
when all the air is unsafe to breathe,
only then will you discover you cannot eat money.
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~Cree Prophecy~