When I read your post yesterday it cleared something up for me. Matthew is one of the most insightful people I've ever known. He grew up across the street from me in what is probably the most liberal town in America. I just assumed that what I grew up with was normal. Well Matthew is now a marine biologist in Washington state. He lives in a county that is far from liberal. He was at some kind of town meeting where the county commissioner was speaking. Matthew used the term "unctuous". And he mentioned how his electric scooter actually has an additional registration fee of $100 just because. And at that meeting the commissioner was appointing, or trying to get elected, some crony to an environmental board, who is everything but environmentally minded. Matthew was expressing his utter disgust.
Now it starts to become very clear. I knew about Walmarts widening freeways, and building onramps for towns they would be building in. But now I see how our interests are being un-served by people like this county commissioner. There is little doubt that he worships the gods of the oil wells. (By the way, I just heard of a book by the title of Carbon Democracy which sounds well worth reading). So we are relatively powerless to stop the destruction that is being paved with dollars. Your post helped to clear up the remaining pieces that I was unable to see.
So the viscous cycle is partly, if not mostly, propelled by us as we drive our cars, and take our trips, etc. But even if we were to begin efforts to curb the disaster that is unfolding, we are up against a petroleum wall of power that keeps us from being successful.
I had a dream the other night. It also cleared up something in my personal life. I've been moving from property to property over the last 25 years in an attempt to find a home. In that dream I saw native Americans living in a pristine land. It is now clear to me that my unhappiness stems from being conscious of the diseased life we are living. This is not off topic. And what I also now see is that every step we take to remedy our situation that is not in line with nature is a step away from a happy, sustainable life. When I first saw the term "green" in my engineering magazine in 1992, I immediately unsubscribed. Until right now, I was not consciously aware of exactly why I was so disturbed by it.
If I were to elaborate on this stuff, it would take up pages. I better leave it here, and go take a walk in the redwoods.
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