It's not easy being Green, but few things worth doing are.

Like the rest of the world I have been trying over the last few days to make some sense out of recent events in Japan. Aside from just the fact that the scope of the disaster and its lasting effects seeming almost to vast to comprehend, one of the themes that I've been pondering is energy and how we as a race get the energy we rely on. Certainly the debate about nuclear energy has resurfaced as a result of the situation in Japan but I've also been thinking as well about our reliance on the more traditional sources, like fossil fuels, and oil in general.

I've never been a fan of what we might call "the green movement." Often it has seemed that too little consideration is given to whether the trade-offs, and it is all about trade-offs, make sense.  For example if I use a soda fountain and reusable glasses what is there trade-off between the increased running of a dishwasher and creating/recycling an aluminum can?  That's one example and I'm not sure that answer but what has traditionally bugged me is to often it seems the question is never asked.  Another example, hybrid cars, we still put gasoline derived from oil in them. So who makes out there? The oil industry sure we're using less oil but we are still using oil. In addition to which to often the economics of the premium paid on a Hybrid car simply don't work out when compared to an efficient all gasoline engine.

We live in tumultuous times and the price of gas seems to bounce up and down as a result of such turmoil. Even in the hours after the quake talk had already turned to what effect it might have on the price of oil. Frankly I found this a bit insensitive but the reality is that the world's economies, particularly that of the US, are still inextricably linked to a need for oil. If the price of gas goes up it can have a potentially crippling effect.

So what do we do about it? Well it seems to me part of the problem in answering that question is that there really aren't an good options when it comes to alternatives yet.  Public transportation in the US lacks and the car obsessed culture isn't likely to change that anytime soon, Hybrids are a mere pin prick on the problem, electric cars only shift the problem to largely coal based electricity generation.  What we need are real renewable, economically viable, solutions to these problem sooner rather than later.

Frankly I would like to do more but I need an economically viable solution to do so. We need to get serious about this and not because of some movement but because it is vital to our national security and that of the global economy. Much like with the space program I don't think it is a question of technology or ability to solve tough technical problems, there are plenty of people on this Earth who are extremely good at doing just that. The problem is in the will to change the status quo. Only when we find that will to be bold, gas tax perhaps?, will we get serious about creating the truly viable economically sensible alternatives we'll need to free ourself from the clutches of fluctuating gas prices and oil dependence. One thing I'm sure, much like Mars, if we ever reach this far off frontier humanity will be better for it!

I don't see nuclear being how we do that though. I've never been what we'd call a "fan" of nuclear power. My opposition isn't really on the basis of security, or safety although those issues are vitally important.  I have a problem with the fact that the waste generated is radioactive and stays that way for decades and we don't have a good option for what to do with that toxic, dangerous waste. If we store it we have to move it which opens up the potential for accidents, etc. So I'd prefer methods that don't create a new potentially dangerous problem as a byproduct. Of course many say those methods like Wind, Solar, etc. are not enough to meet the demand which in a world of iPads and iPhones that all need to be charged might well be true.

One thing's for sure I'm becoming quickly convinced that something needs to be done. Not so we feel good about ourselves but for our own security and well being, as a people not any one country. It probably does start with individual action and I'm still trying to work through what that means for me.

In the meantime let's keep our thoughts with Japan and on what we can do to help. The situation is still fluid and real recovery has yet to begin and will be a long process, this disaster and tragedy will effect the life of everyone on this planet in someway to varying degrees. So as a tweet I saw said if you can afford an iPad2 surely we can spare a few dollars to the recovery effort, www.redcross.org