Reflection on resources

As the cost of gasoline and oil continue to rise, I am amazed at the lack of attention this has had with Congress and the Executive branch to really do anything meaningful. I know that President Bush is holding out for the hydrogen cell cars and Congress is holding out to make auto makers increase gas mileage by 2012. I came across the following article in Christian Century November 27, 2007 which quoted a news article from the New Yorker, November 5.

In 1993 President Clinton launched the Partnership for a New Generation of Vehicles. It was designed to assist the big three automakers in producing cars that would increase fuel efficiency threefold in 10 years. In 2002, after $1 billion of federal money had been spent and each of the Big Three had produced models of fuel-efficient cars, the Bush adminstration scrapped this program in favor of the FreedomCar project, which is aimed at creating a car that runs on pure hydrogen. Meanwhile, the average care sold in the U.S. today gets 20 miles per gallon--about the same as in 1993 when Clinton launched the Partnership program and less than what Henry Ford's Model T got when it went on the market 99 years ago.

Somehow I am not surprised by this. I had read a letter to the editor in the World Herald that stated that his 1966 truck got over 30 miles to a gallon. It makes one wonder why are cars, suv's and trucks getting less mileage today than they were getting 99 years ago? As I was thinking about this, I want to share scripture that points out to us our own failings to learn and to truly do things differently. "History merely repeats itself. It has all been done before. Nothing under the sun is truly new. What can you point to that is new? How do you know it didn't already exist long ago? We don't remember what happened in the former times. And in future generations, no one will remember what we are doing now (Ecc 1:9-12 NLT)."

I hope that someday we will remember and will be willing to support stewardship of our resources in a more ethical responsible way. Until such a time, let us make our choices regarding our own lives and hold those in power to actually do what they say they are going to do.