The Oval Office

President Obama is speaking from the Oval office tonight for the first time. The President's use of this office is a symbol of immediate crisis or impending change that absolutely must take place. I'm sure he is going to address the spill in the gulf, but I hope, more importantly, he addresses our need for personal change. If I were the President, this would be my speech:

I am here tonight to engage with and empower humanity not just in America, but across our borders as well. We have entered a new phase of existence on this planet and can no longer act independently and with our own personal interests in mind. We must honor that this Earth is a Global Community that is facing dynamic climate changes the likes of which humanity has never seen.

I am saddened beyond words and yet grateful for the disaster in the Gulf of Mexico. It is a dramatic representation of what our planet is facing. Every drop of oil floating in our sacred oceans represents our need to change our consumption patterns, not just in America, but across this globe. If you have sat down tonight to hear about the plans in the gulf, then I will be perfectly honest with you and tell you that I have no idea what is going to happen. I foresee that the oil will stop gushing by August. By then, we will have destroyed countless ecosystems including our own. Fishing, tourism and yes, oil exploration as an industry in the Gulf of Mexico is over. We must accept this and move forward. This means that the people affected will need to find other means of employment and sustenance. This means that the animals and creatures of the gulf will die.

I'm sure this spill is shocking to most Americans as we do not know what disaster feels like. We live far away from the terrible things going on in this world. We don't see it or feel it or sense it and therefore it is as if it isn't happening. I will tell you that 1 billion people on this planet are without adequate food and water and your mind will not be able to accept it. I will tell you that the polar ice caps are melting and it is causing water shortages and famine throughout the globe and your mind will not be able to accept it. I will tell you that the oil beds in Saudi Arabia and Kuwait are slowly drying up and your mind will not be able to accept it.

We are predicted to have 14 hurricanes in the Atlantic this season. We have never seen this before. The hurricanes are stronger and last longer. Entire forests in Colorado and far into Canada are dying due to the proliferation of certain species of beetles. The beetles are not dying in the winter because our winters are much more mild. There is a 50% chance that Lake Meade will dry up by 2035 affecting water supply to our southwest states. Earthquake activity across the globe has increased. Lightning strikes which cause fire have increased as our weather patterns have changed. The Peat beds are drying up releasing more Carbon into the environment than our cars ever could. Methane is bubbling up from the Earth at a dramatic level as the waters heat up releasing yet more carbon. I could go on and on.

It is too late to save the Earth as we know it. It is not too late to save humanity. Every human on this planet must begin making the personal sacrifices necessary to ensure that we will continue as a species. I am not going to address tonight all of the government initiatives and actions that must take place. I'm not going to discuss them because they will be met with so much resistance that we will be bogged down in discussion for months and months to come. The bottom line is that America is going to step up to the plate and lead this New Earth. It will be done. The discussion is over. Our consumption of fossil fuel is over. Our over-consumption of everything else is also over.

Tonight, instead, I want to talk to each individual who resides on this planet that has a nice life. When I say that you have a nice life, it means that you live on more than $1.25/day which is what billions of people on this planet who do not have a nice life live on. Tonight I want to challenge and empower you. The following are things that you can do to force the shift we need.

• Stop needless shopping. I realize this will put our economy into an economic tailspin for awhile. I realize this will dramatically change the landscape of employment and Wall Street. I realize this will be painful.
• Buy used, recycled and refurbished goods. This will create a new industry and jobs and benefit the planet.
• Buy new items which are needed that are made from organic, sustainable, fairly and freely traded materials. Again, this will create a new industry and jobs that benefit the planet.
• Consolidate your trips. Take the bus. Take the train. Ride your bike. Ride-share. Establish car-pool lanes in your communities and figure out how to put those metro systems in.
  
• If you are buying a new car, demand that it be a hybrid or better.
• Unscrew every other lightbulb in your house. Keep your lights off as much as possible. Buy environmentally friendly and energy saving bulbs.
• Install solar panels.
  
• Turn your cities off at night.
  
• Plant a garden. Better yet, organize your neighborhoods to support a community garden.
• Recycle.
• Don't buy another beverage that is in a plastic container.
• Compost.
• Collect rain in a rain barrel to feed your lawn.
• Buy organic and local food.
• Eat whole foods and fresh vegetables and fruits.
• Do not buy junk food. Do not buy soda. Do not eat at fast food restaurants.
• Eat at least 2 vegetarian meals per day.
• Eat more beans.
• Stop drinking milk. Replace your craving with Almond, Soy or Rice milk.
• Buy things made in America. Buy local.
• Go for a 30 minute walk every day. This will save money on health care and we can spend it on wind farms.
• Install a clothes line to dry your clothes.

These are the things that you can do now. These are the things that "seem" hard, but really cost little money and will ultimately save you money. If every person on the planet who "lives well" simply makes these changes, then our planet will shift in a positive way. Your health will shift in a positive way.

There is no other issue in our world right now more important than this issue. Make a commitment to change your personal habits. The discussion is over. It's time to act.