Stop The Runaway Trains And Trucks

Photo by Stop Nuclear Power Network

Runaways are those that travel and proceed without our consent. The trains that contained the nuclear waste reached their destination after several attempts by green activists to disrupt the shipment from France to Dannenberg, Germany.

Now, the mode of shipment of those unwanted nuclear waste shifted from train to truck. From the railway depot in Dannenberg, the containers would be carried by trucks to Gorleben, the final destination and permanent storage site of nuclear waste in Germany.

After Chernobyl nuclear disaster, there has been insecurity surrounding nuclear use for energy production. What makes the anti-nuclear protest more compelling is the availability of renewable sources of energy. As most European countries, Germany has both the money and technology to shift from reliance on nuclear energy to renewable sources of energy. Instead, the German government surprised green activists and drew the ire of them by extending the use of power plants to ten more years of operations.

Somewhere we have to stand up if we need to see the change we want to see. And this is what green activists in Germany and elsewhere are doing to press and demand their governments to adopt projects that utilize natural resources such as solar, wind, tides, rain, and other renewable sources of energy.

The developing world looks up to Europe as the model for development and climate change mitigation and adaptation. Thus, let us stop the runaway trains and trucks as symbols of old ways that do not tackle climate change head-on.

Not another entry on BP oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico

Any environmental blog nowadays would have at least an entry on the BP oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. This is not another entry on BP oil spill. This would not put blame on the BP oil company, nor the government's slow response. This would not provide excuses for our insatiable want of oil at the expense of our lifestyles, profits, and ultimately, our environment.

This would drag us into the spill. What does it have to do something with us? No matter how far we live from the gulf, no matter how unaffected we may seem, this would argue that the spill has something to do with us.

After gushing hundreds of millions of gallons of oil in the gulf, the spill exposed the unpreparedness of giant oil companies to tackle such a tremendous disaster. Worse, it even made the most powerful and technologically advanced country in the world vulnerable and hysterically inadequate to deal with such disaster.

Do we really need those hundreds of millions of gallons of oil? Apparently, not.

Then, why exploration of oil deposits and building of oil rigs continue? If we missed to use those wasted and leaked oil, would our lives be different today?

One of the major sources of our energy is oil. Undoubtedly, we need it, for now. Thus, as long as we need it, explorations and development of oil rigs will continue. The potential of having another disaster of this scale will be ever-present.

If we want to avoid similar catastrophe, then we have to cut that need.

Demand from our governments to supply our energy needs from renewable sources. Ask our governments to reduce dependence from fossil fuels (e.g. coal and oil) which contribute so much to pollution and global warming.

Now, what does it have to do with us?

As an individual, cut oil and energy consumption. Resist that temptation to have more. Be more. Turn off everything if unused. Walk that extra mile or bike. Live a simple and happy life.

As a citizen, oppose new fossil fuel projects in your area/country. Get involved in environmental activities. Go out and appreciate the natural beauty of environment.

Do it alone. Do it with someone. Do it with a group.

These activities may not stop giant oil companies and governments to explore and develop oil rigs, but they will feel our sentiments in their revenues and ballots. We will reduce our need for fossil fuels, thus reducing their new projects. We will vote for candidates with an energy plan and priority for renewable energy sources such as wind, solar, and biomass.

Yes we will. Seeing the massive effects of the oil spill in biodiversity, peoples' lives, and local economy, we have to believe that we can. No more of this man-made catastrophe, in our lifetime.