I recently watched a special report by CNN entitled, “We Were Warned: Out of Gas.” The show detailed a hypothetical situation in which all the refining capabilities of Houston are severely damaged by a hurricane, a strike Saudi Arabia’s major refining areas by al qaeda , and gas jumps to $9 a gallon. The case highlights our dependence on oil and our vulnerability to catastrophe. The remainder of the show investigates how we can continue to fill our cars with gas, consume without being so vulnerable, and avoid future resource wars. The solutions they offer are:
- Turn sugar into ethanol like Brazil.
- Hope for the creation of a more energy efficient biofuel.
- Hope for the creation of a more energy efficient vehicle.
The whole point of this program was to warn us of the dangers we will face if we do not find a more energy efficient way to consume in true American-style. Only once does CNN mention our consumption habits, stating that the U.S. consumes 25% of all oil in the world. Our consumption habits are not sustainable.
The focus of our energy crisis should be our consumption habits, not on trying to find a more efficient biofuel or car. We should focus our attention on creating a more sustainable localized economy in which we are dependant on our neighbors instead of world markets. CNN has no interest in educating the public about the benefits of a localized economy, because they will not benefit from people consuming less and trading with their neighbors. When the public is consuming a lot, CNN profits because the corporations who advertise with them are benefiting from the consumption. Corporate media is in bed with all the other major corporations who want us to buy, buy, buy without a conscience. This innate bias of the corporate media prohibits them from ever advocating for a more sustainable United States of America.
We must do it ourselves.
Tags: CNN, consumption, corporate media, sustainability