Environmentalism is killing us!

With the cost of a barrel of crude fast approaching $100 a barrel, I have to ask my fellow Americans when it will be enough for you to do something about it?

While I am all for clean air and water, environmentalism has taken on a life of its own and one could argue it is the cause of many people losing their lives.

We have large proven oil reserves which, if we were able to drill for, would ease the demand for outside sources and would drive down the cost to the consumer until we can develop alternative sources of energy.

This would also create untold numbers of jobs and would create more taxpayers. Damage to the areas would be minimal. But alas, environmentalists have such control in government that the support for finding our own sources of energy is now considered taboo.

We haven't built a new refinery or nuclear power plant for over 30 years. Instead of being able to produce our own energy, we have to rely on foreign sources and all the baggage that goes with them.

We have seen the recent fires in California being blamed on "man made global warming" when, in fact, it seems arson may be the culprit. No mention is made of people not being able to clear dead underbrush from their own properties for fear of a substantial fine thanks to environmentalism's belief it is wrong. Never mind that the underbrush acts as kindling.

Isn't it possible that we are experiencing a period of natural warming, a phenomenon that happens from time to time, and that to think we have that much control over the Earth is disingenuous?

I'm tired of being held hostage by people who would sacrifice economic and social growth to save the Earth from heating up maybe one degree every century as Al Gore would have us believe.

Chuck Guy

Elk Grove Village