We need to preserve and heal our global environment
so we will have a future planet for humanity to call home.
From the native peoples, to the early settlers, through our farmers of today, this State has had a long and intimate relationship between the people and the land. It has been too long that our environmental policies are the afterthought of other issues rather than the central guiding principal of our focus. Choices about the environment impact our energy policy, economy, foreign policy and the very stability of our nation. A sound environmental policy is the key to our future.
Our current energy policy protects the outdated fossil fuel industry. This has resulted in the weakening of our nation by the transfer of incalculable wealth and the power it represents to dictators and despots bent on destroying our freedoms and way of life. We have been forced to sacrifice our children on distant battlefields to maintain the stable flow of oil.
We have done an abysmal job to protect our land, water and air, and, by extension, our own survival. The science is in and overwhelming: carbon emissions from our cars and smoke stacks have created a pending crisis. Whether it is called global warming, climate change, or weather instability, we must address it on local, national and global levels to be effective.
Extremists on both sides of the environmental issue seem to dominate the contemporary debate. While their actions are sometimes illustrative of the problems, they do not lead to a reasoned plan of action. Neither extreme is correct. Mankind is part of nature, and this wonderful planet has an amazing ability to recover and forgive our sins.
Nature, like time itself, is always changing. To claim that we must prevent any impact that mankind has on this earth is unrealistic and denies our place in this system. Unlike all of our fellow companions on this planet, however, we can choose actions that minimize damage and in fact help our earth heal.
Our air, water and land are part of the same cycle of life that sustains us. When we pump mercury poison into the air from our power plants, why are we surprised when we are told that the fish we consume is too high in mercury for pregnant women to eat?
While our nuclear power facilities may be the safest in the world, our lack of direction fails to make any reasonable plans for the disposal of the spent fuel.
For decades I have been an active member of the Izaak Walton League. I believe strongly in the pledge we members take. We believe it is our duty to strive for the purity of water, the clarity of air and the wise stewardship of the land and its resources. It is our birthright to know and enjoy the beauty of nature and value of wildlife, woodlands and open space. It is our job to share in the preservation of this heritage.
Our environmental policy must start with the understanding of the need for a harmonious balance between our self and nature. As the scouts pledge, we should leave the environment cleaner than what we found.
Where do we start? The first step away from the past is to do an inventory of what we have. This state has abundant fertile land and an ocean of natural water in an aquifer below our feet. These resources must be managed and protected.
Since Nebraska essentially has no oil, we should look to alternate renewable energy sources. We did inherit the wind. Nebraska is rated the sixth best state for the development of sustainable wind power. We could replace the oil states as a major exporter of energy. Ours would be clean, renewable and environmentally friendly. You often hear claims that changing from fossil fuels will be expensive. I contend the people with that view often have an interest in preserving the old system. They ignore the job opportunities created by making these changes, and the potential dual uses for marginal farmland.
Nebraska is also unique in having statewide public power (electricity), and in some places (Fremont among them) even natural gas companies are public. This was a brilliant and farsighted move and must be protected. Because we own the power companies in our state, we can insist on the move to wind power and renewable energy. We can even use our public power lines to bring high speed Internet to remote areas that are neglected by private providers.
Increased production of ethanol is becoming important to Nebraska’s agri-business. The opportunity can be seen with countries like Brazil, who became completely energy independent by using bio fuels (they use sugarcane). We should be careful, however, that our desire for improved economic development in the short term does not negatively impact our food and water supply and impede us from finding a long-term solution for our energy needs.
Let us face the fact, our energy consumption is not going down, and we cannot continue to give money to the Middle East, which is increasingly unstable as is our relationship with the suppliers.
We can all do our small part to reduce current consumption. When I was just 16 years old, I designed and constructed a solar heating panel for my parent’s home, one of the first in town if not the first. My wife and I live in a house that is partially heated by active solar heat. My office was designed for passive solar heat. We have installed energy efficient furnaces and a tank-less water heater. We purchased a half electric hybrid car (Toyota Prius) the first year it was available and still drive it today. Conservation is not the ultimate answer, but part of the short term plan of action.
Our state government could lead the nation in requiring new construction to be “green.” With new construction methods, materials and designs, it is now possible to build new homes that will have little or no utility bills. Consider the cost savings both to the consumer and utility companies. The drain from our economy to import oil or coal could be a thing of the past. If we all share in the responsibility of reducing our dependence on fossil fuel, we will have a stronger nation and breathe better as an added benefit.
We have seen over the last 30 years attempts to educate and encourage us to recycle, but the solid waste continues to balloon out of control. To have a successful recycling program, we need strong markets for the recyclables. If we can make it more profitable to use recycled materials, we can save our forests and natural resources. As a side benefit, we will be reducing the pollution caused by the processing of raw materials. We also need to reduce wasteful packaging. Just examine what you put in your trash. Most of it is the plastic non-degradable packaging that all of our products come in. This is simply waste and must be reduced dramatically.
The bottom line is we must stop the abuses of the past and move toward an environmental policy that leads us to fulfill our moral obligation to preserve this planet, our only home.
