The Gift of the Present

The gift of the present is that we know everything we need to know in order to get out of this mess.  We know how we got here and we are creative and aware enough to build a strategy to create a new world that leaves the rubble of the old world behind us.  After all, it occurs to many of us that this world does not represent us at our finest.

Climate change is the current flash point of our time.  It is true that our house is on fire.  And yet we remain completely impotent in the face of this disaster.  And it is true that the most vociferous push back is coming from the North who, I suppose, has the most to lose (materially) if this scenario plays out.  The simplest solution being provided is to transition from oil to renewable sources of energy.  So, what is holding us back?  Follow the oil and you follow the money, the power and the conflicts.  Oil is one of the currencies of power.  It explains the U.S.’s relationship with Saudi Arabia.  It explains the “war on terror”, mostly countries that have oil or are on the path of potential oil pipelines.  What if up to 70% of the U.S. Congress held stocks in coal, oil and gas?  How likely would they be to rock the current system that provides so well for them?  We also know that oil keeps the money and power in the hands of the few, whereas the transition to renewables puts power back into the hands of the many.  The gift of the present is that we now know all that we need to know in order to address this situation.