9.14.10 – Lead or follow

If you have at least the smallest amount of consciousness and humanity, and watch the news or read the papers these days, you can't help but be depressed. It seems as if we've finally gotten ourselves in such a mess that no one will be able to get us out. Some of the documentaries I've been watching haven't helped change this mindset, until this evening.

I watched Fuel, which started out, as you'd expect, a bit depressing by focusing on all the contamination of Louisiana over the years from oil production and then continuing with the Iraq war. Yet even with all that horrible news, including all the brouhaha over ethanol and biofuels not being what they're cracked out to be (as if petroleum is?!!??), the filmed ended with a great feeling of positive belief that we can crack this problem. I'm suddenly wondering if I should trade in my Honda for a diesel car.

I think the most important line for me in the film, was Gandhi's quote: "If the people lead, the leaders will follow." It's pretty obvious the oil companies, the auto industry, and government are not going to do the right thing because it's the right thing; they're going to do it because the people make them do it.