IN all the talk about the dangerous effect of greenhouse gases on our planet which has resulted in a fervent search for alternative power resources, one thing has been overlooked: The role of human consumption in global warming. Ozzie Zehner, the author of the book “Green Illusions”, does not think that Americans have an energy crisis but rather a consumption crisis and he suggests curbing consumerism as a starting point to solve the energy crisis problem. So, in most cases, instead of buying what you want, you should only get what you need and only if you can afford it. He argues that consumerism is the main cause of the greenhouse effect, and he goes as far as saying that alternative energy resources and technologies serve mostly to distract Americans from realizing their daily participation in creating the problem and from cleaner simple and affordable solutions to climate change and other environmental problems, such as consuming less and riding bicycles instead of driving cars. He also argues that subsidizing alternative energy technologies actually has a rebound consequence, because by making energy cheaper for consumers, the demand for energy increases which leads to an increase in consumerism. To him, those searching for alternate energy resources are looking in the wrong place, just like the man who was looking for what he lost at night not where he lost it but under a street light. When he was asked why he was looking there when the thing that he lost was on the other unlit side of the street, he replied, “Because there is light on this side of the street”. Zehner goes on to say that each type of alternative energy has a downside and recommends that environmentalists pay more attention to social programs that discourage consumerism and are good for public health as well as the planet, such as cycling instead of driving. He also suggests that such programs need to provide immediate personal benefits and long-term climate stabilization, and he cites youth cycling programs as one example of a quite radical solution in the world of luxury and consumerism. Like Americans, we tend to consume more than we need. Part of that is maintaining a vehicle-centered culture. The streets in the major Saudi cities are crowded most of the day and we need to start thinking of alternate means of transportation to help minimize street congestion and the pollution that comes with it. But how? There are many ways to do that. In many small European cities people use bicycles to move around and in larger cities, they use public transportation. Even in big cities like Brussels, there are days in the year in which private cars are not permitted in the streets, so you will only find buses, taxis and bicycles there. It is amazing how much people seem to enjoy those car-free days. One can almost feel the happiness of cyclists who are enjoying their exercise and being able to create their own environment.
