Not long ago, it seemed as if the world was ending.   The dizzying ascent of oil prices sent many people (including yours truly), pondering and fretting about oil at $200 a barrel and beyond.   Though this frenzy seems to have tapered off in the wake of a de facto recession (and thus decreasing energy use), I anticipate that the distraction from energy prices will only be temporary.   Increasing demand from booming economies, such as China and India, will certainly put a strain on supply in the future, and energy prices will rise once again.
While environmentalists have praised solar and wind energy for years, mainstream America is JUST beginning to catch on.   Look no further than the campaigns: the presidential candidates of both major parties have thrown their support behind such technologies (at least, they have in rhetoric).   Though such popularity has coincided with the rise of energy prices, it has also coincided with the increasing acceptance and acknowledgement of the global warming phenomenon.   Thus, the question arises: why the push to be green?   Is it conscience that leads Americans to buy a Prius and install solar panels on their roofs, or is it capitalism?   Is it for morality or money?

Two figures stand out when evaluating this dichotomy.   On the capitalist side, you have T. Boone Pickens, now famous for his “Pickens Plan,” which you can learn more about at the aptly named Web site, pickensplan.com.   On the conscience side, you have Al Gore, which, aside from his usual stances, caused quite a stir this past July when challenging the United States to supply all of its energy from renewable fuels within 10 years, costs be damned.   I may be accused of being glib in polarizing these two figures, but, I feel that this is an effective example.   Pickens is a man who characterizes the recent energy shock as a primarily economic challenge.   His evangelical attempts at converting Americans into renewable believers often comes with the statement, “we spend nearly $700 billion every year buying foreign oil, which represents the greatest transfer of wealth in the history of mankind.”   Meanwhile, Gore, when discussing his ambitious goal of powering America 100% on renewable energy, states “once again, we have the opportunity to take a giant leap forward for humankind.”   The language here has a tone of greater urgency, regarding an issue perceived as more important than money.

With different tactics and backgrounds, they are likely to draw in vastly different crowds.   Pickens, with his straight talk and businessman-like style, is likely to be more successful with a conservative crowd, while Gore, with his penchant for grandeur and environmental ideals, can easily recruit those on the left.   Okay, it doesn’t take a genius to point this out.   But, regardless of whether people are doing it for ideals of green or greed, people are starting to make a marked change in their lifestyles.   The recruitment is working, whether it’s the result of the Pickens Plan and higher energy prices or ‘An Inconvenient Truth’ and concern about our planet.   People are starting to wean themselves off fossil fuels, or at least reduce their usage.   The number of miles driven this past year has decreased for the first time in over 20 years.   Sales of SUV’s and other gas-guzzling vehicles have plummeted.   And public transportation systems across the countries are reporting drastic increases in ridership.

I know that my job on this column is to opine about something with conviction, without vacillation.   Yet, I can only say with conviction that I don’t know whether capitalism or conscience is winning.   While my idealist half would like to think that humankind is quite concerned about carbon emissions and the fate of our planet, the pragmatic half is convinced that people are dumping the SUV to pa-y the rent.   What I am convinced of is that this is only the beginning in a series of societal changes.

We will gradually cease to afford cheap, carbon-based fuels, whether due to economical or environmental issues.   Instead, we will only be met with challenges on how to push our society forward.   And so, as a great man once said, “the torch has been passed to a new generation.”   It is up to us now to do what our parents wanted and needed to do, but couldn’t or wouldn’t.   It is up to us, whatever our motives are, to survive; to learn to harness the awesome strength of nature, for the benefit of all –– for the peaceful coexistence of both our natural environment and humankind.

Obviously, as you can see, I’m a fan of Mr. Gore.