Earth Day, Arnold, and Kerry, oh my!

Date: 24-04-2007 Posted by: Anabolic Info TeamUnited States

We have admitted that we have a problem. An environmental problem, that is. The news has recently been chockablock full of examples of environmental awareness. In what must have been awkward for all witnesses involved, Sheryl Crow approached Karl Rove at the White House Correspondents' Association dinner and asked him to pay more attention to global warming. While Rove was, to say the least, nonplussed, the event received national attention. On the other side of the political aisle, John Kerry and Teresa Heinz Kerry have written a book about saving the environment. One hopes the book does not mimic Mr. Kerry's oratorical style.

While a Democrat discussing the environment may not herald a sea change, change is indeed popping up in the unlikeliest of places. The Pentagon now lists the environment as one of its strategic concerns, if only to preserve the earth for future wars. Oil companies such as Exxon are now including multi-page features in their yearly stockholder reports that advertise what these previously nefarious companies are doing to curb global warming and 'green' the industry.

In what may be the strangest item on this list, Arnold Schwarzenegger - of Terminator and Hummer gas-guzzling fame - gave a pro-environment speech last month in Gaston Hall. Schwarzenegger spoke of the need to make the environment "sexy" and "mainstream," in much the same way the bodybuilding industry changed from being "sketchy" to a national obsession in the form of the fitness industry. He even boasted that one of his Hummers is now a hybrid and the other is hydrogen-powered.

Like with any serious problem, admitting that a problem exists is the first step; but it is not the only step. It is wonderful that films like Happy Feet incorporate environmental themes, but to leave its message in the theater would be worse than counterproductive.

Let us take to heart Mr. Schwarzenegger's guttural cry for help. With Earth Day just behind us, we have the perfect opportunity to begin a new, cleaner life. It may have taken too long to raise awareness, but awareness alone will not cool the earth. Lucky for us, the fight against global warming does not require any individual to make massive sacrifices. Hybrid cars may be efficient, but they are by no means necessary.

If we are all a little more conscious of the current ecological situation, and reflect this in our daily actions - be they making a little effort to recycle, donating to an organization for environmental advocacy, or simply telling others about global warming - real progress is possible. If a big bad oil company is talking about global warming, perhaps we ought to be a few steps ahead of it: if only so that we can have a future in which sweet robot wars take place.