As Earth Week Wraps Up Are We Better Off?

As earth week wraps up with various festivals and events across the country one asks, "are we better any off since we started having earth day?". Earth issues awareness is hitting home harder than ever with the cost of energy at the gas pump and in our utility bills closely tied to survival issues of food and making our rent and mortgage payments. Calls for conservation and changes in personal behaviors are making a difference in our air quality, trash at landfills and energy demands but we're not keeping up. Legislation and government policy is sadly lagging behind the needs and pain felt by the average consumer, or worse, is turning a deaf ear to the citizenry while the hole in our national financial bucket called Iraq shows no signs of being plugged anytime soon.
Many have called for a Manhattan Project style effort to address our national energy challenges, which of course, are closely tied to our environmental challenges, and there seems to be a consensus building that something major must be done. Energy legislation such as HR 6 stalled in the Senate, and economic stimulus opportunities in energy efficiency continuing to be overlooked by a big-oil friendly administration. Are they listening or do they not want to hear? One can only look forward to a new administration and hope for a change. All three political candidates for our nations highest office have campaigned hard on their fresh approach to energy policy and the environment.
Whoever does get elected, let's hold their feet to the fire.

Bart Allen Berry is the Founder of MyEnergyPlanet web portal all about energy efficiency, energy savings and the new energy economy.