“Green energy” – a buzzword used by the media and bloggers more and more frequently nowadays – is seen as being an increasingly important topic as a result of the BP oil spill that is leaking thousands of barrels of oil into the Gulf Coast daily. The whole concept of green energy is that as we as a nation grow more and more, we will consume more energy – which, as it stands today, is a finite resource. Green energy, on the other hand, has the potential to be infinite – using solar, wind, and geothermal sources to produce energy that can power houses, factories, and cars. By converting most of our dependence on oil and coal to ‘green’ energy, it will not only ensure that we are able to meet the needs of an ever-expanding population, but it will also cut down dramatically on our collective ‘carbon footprint’, that is, the negative impact that our carbon output has on the environment.
The movement for green energy and a more environmentalist outlook has not been exclusive to radicals or activists. A green culture has developed where it is now fashionable to be sustainable, clean, reusable, etc. Even major corporations such as Wal-Mart have capitalized on the ‘green revolution’, selling reusable grocery bags with planet-friendly slogans printed on them for $1. Even celebrities such as Leonardo DiCaprio, Cameron Diaz, and George Clooney are getting in on the action, starting up action groups like Oil Change and driving electric cars.
As environmental disasters such as the Deepwater Horizon oil spill continue to occur, environmental consciousness will seep more into the popular conscience, making environmentalism more and more relevant to popular culture. Although it is a tragedy that this disaster occurred one positive result that can be gleaned from the oil spill is that, now more than ever, Americans are waking up to our impact on the environment and seem to be more willing to do something about it. Let’s hope that this collective consciousness will not wash away when the oil does.
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