Conservation, not growth, in our future

It seems everyone these days is complaining about the high cost of gasoline. Some of reasons, according to reports by Reuters and Bloomberg BusinessWeek, are that extracting oil has become more difficult, more dangerous, more polluting and more costly. And when there is a spill or a leak, the cost of cleanup is astronomical and must also be factored into the cost.

We have enjoyed a century of growth in this country due to the availability of cheap oil. Not any more. The demand for oil is also increasing in the rest of the world. Fuel efficiency, conservation and sustainable alternatives will be a necessity in the coming years. Developing a sustainable society rather than a growth oriented one, where people share and conserve rather than compete for and consume precious resources, is the key to our future as well as the entire planet.

CJ Truesdale

Wheaton