Why this might not matter at all...
This is not a doomsday comment, but there is an unfortunate reality to consider here. Namely, that even if Pres. Obama *does* get re-elected, and is hopefully able to serve the whole of his second term, that still only brings us 4 years into what is a roughly 24 year energy plan, in terms of his goals for efficiency. 24 years folks, that's a bare minimum of *THREE* presidents after this one, or if everyone serves their full four years, as many as SIX. Anyone of of these people could up and derail or out right kill this much needed action. And given the highly divisive state of our country's mind set right now, the likelihood of this getting the axe before it can bear fruit is very, very likely.
I'm not saying don't vote, and I'm not saying it's hopeless, and I'm not supporting one party over another. What I AM saying is that, if the environment is important to you, make sure your elected officials, whatever their party affiliation, know that, and have their facts straight. There are tons of bits of misinformation and half truths out there, even a few brilliantly crafted lies, and unfortunately, a great deal of false hope about how little we need to change our behaviors as a species to prevent this looming disaster. We cannot wait to tighten our belts on energy usage, and to stop using the more polluting fuel sources, until all the other countries do. Polluting the earth is not a right, or a privilege, it's a shame and it ought to be a crime. We need to step up and lead by example, rather than complaining that other people in other countries still get to do what we shouldn't want to do anyway.
If you feel similarly, and you want to see things get done to protect the planet, make sure sure that ALL your candidates on ALL levels of your government know that, because this has got to happen on all levels for the foreseeable future. We can't pin our hopes on one guy, who's power is actually pretty limited, who has some good ideas, and assume he'll make the problem go away. The problem doesn't just "go away." It's going to take consistent effort by a series of people who understand what's going on and are willing to make the right choice for the environment, regardless of how unpopular it may be in the view of big business and other special interests. Because at the end of the day, whether they realize it or not, those groups still live here too, and they still need a habitable planet, and whether they get it or not, letting them run amock with outdated energy policies is a slow suicide for all of us.
