repiphany
a little over a week ago, the small northern alberta town where i live hosted a conference on biofuel production. coincidentally, i had just read George Mionbot's HEAT - how to stop the planet from burning
i had the very good fortune to be the chauffer of 3 of our visiting dignitaries, Lyle Estill from Piedmont Biofuels in North Carolina, and Dr. Goran Jovanovic and his wife, Maya, from Oregon. this meant i had them all to myself during the hour and a half journey to and from the nearest large-ish airport, and shared some meals with them during their time here. Lyle produces biofuel from waste fat for a few hundred customers in his area, and Dr. Jovanovic is a chemical engineer who has devised new ways of producing biofuel without the big 'reactors' currently used. both brilliant in their respective fields.
here in Waynorth, energy conservation is the last thing on the minds of most of those who attended the conference. we're in the heart of oil and gas country. most locals laugh at global warming, and scoff at suggestions that they don't have unlimited petroleum resources. there are a few exceptions, but it seems that even those interested in biofuel are so inclined because they think they can make a fortune on it, or they're farmers who want to add to their marketable options. there's just way too much money around here. we're disgustingly decadent with our natural resources, and no thought is given to the consequences of our plundering on other parts of this small, fragile planet we share. we're very calous to the reality that people in other parts of this little world are already suffering those consequences - that things are going to get much worse. we're fiddling while Rome burns around us.
having the chance to spend time with these folks has been a very good reminder to me why i chose the small town where i live, why i renovated an old building instead of starting from scratch, why i bought a lot big enough to produce food on it. working for an oil company i'm forever surrounded by the small minded self-interest of the wealthy who tell the poor, who haven't enough bread to "eat cake". i didn't chose the job. it was the only one offered to me when i finished my business training. i've since applied at any number of others, with no success. i'm an unwilling participant.
but i AM a participant. and i don't like myself for it. financial responsibilities require the regular paycheck, but integrity demands some brutal honesty. it's time to look very hard at my life, set my goals , make some changes, and get moving in the right direction.
i had the very good fortune to be the chauffer of 3 of our visiting dignitaries, Lyle Estill from Piedmont Biofuels in North Carolina, and Dr. Goran Jovanovic and his wife, Maya, from Oregon. this meant i had them all to myself during the hour and a half journey to and from the nearest large-ish airport, and shared some meals with them during their time here. Lyle produces biofuel from waste fat for a few hundred customers in his area, and Dr. Jovanovic is a chemical engineer who has devised new ways of producing biofuel without the big 'reactors' currently used. both brilliant in their respective fields.
here in Waynorth, energy conservation is the last thing on the minds of most of those who attended the conference. we're in the heart of oil and gas country. most locals laugh at global warming, and scoff at suggestions that they don't have unlimited petroleum resources. there are a few exceptions, but it seems that even those interested in biofuel are so inclined because they think they can make a fortune on it, or they're farmers who want to add to their marketable options. there's just way too much money around here. we're disgustingly decadent with our natural resources, and no thought is given to the consequences of our plundering on other parts of this small, fragile planet we share. we're very calous to the reality that people in other parts of this little world are already suffering those consequences - that things are going to get much worse. we're fiddling while Rome burns around us.
having the chance to spend time with these folks has been a very good reminder to me why i chose the small town where i live, why i renovated an old building instead of starting from scratch, why i bought a lot big enough to produce food on it. working for an oil company i'm forever surrounded by the small minded self-interest of the wealthy who tell the poor, who haven't enough bread to "eat cake". i didn't chose the job. it was the only one offered to me when i finished my business training. i've since applied at any number of others, with no success. i'm an unwilling participant.
but i AM a participant. and i don't like myself for it. financial responsibilities require the regular paycheck, but integrity demands some brutal honesty. it's time to look very hard at my life, set my goals , make some changes, and get moving in the right direction.
posted by grannyfiddler at 11:55 AM
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