Are We All Guilty of Eco-Terrorism?

Yes. Everyday , anyone on this planet commits a threatening act against the environment. Maybe the only peoples not guilty are the ones living in less developed areas such as Ulan Bator, Tibet or obscure sections of Antarctica. The rest of us - well - we're as guilty as hell. Despite all that has been pounded into our heads these past years we still commit acts against nature and our futures. We're the ones to blame for the recent California wild fires - not the Santa Ana winds. We've caused this unseasonably warm autumn - not El Nino or a meteorological quirk. We're responsible for disrupting habitats - not the bears that invade our yard or the coyotes that roam our neighborhoods.

In some way each country is responsible for what is happening to Earth. The US leads them. After all everyone wants to imitate us, including our carelessness and selfish disregard for all things green. We Yanks are a particularly egocentric lot. We know the warnings and the dire threats yet we don't heed them. We still want not one but two SUV's in our driveway. We still buy our teenagers cars on their sixteenth birthdays so that they too can contribute to the problem. We never really think about the options. Hybrids are just something those tree hugging Hollywood celebs drive. God forbid we should. Smart cars? Who wants to drive around in those fuel and space efficient things? Besides they'd just be smashed to pieces if they got in the way of a sports utility vehicle. We cringe at the thought of car pools . We shudder at the idea of taking public transportation. Suggest driving on alternative days to any American and receive a variety of reactions - none embracing the idea eliminating more vehicles from roadways.

As much as we say we care about the environment we just don't. This thought doesn't necessarily apply to Americans either. European farmland is now being eaten up by the rapid yearly growth of cities like London, Paris and Rome. Even small villages and towns are being beset by greedy builders such as the area outside Turin in Italy' s Piedmont region. Hamlets hemmed by the new and totally unnecessary TAV railroad line and stations are experiencing problems with homes being torn down and families displaced. The South American continent is famous for the destruction of its' rain forests and fragile ecosystem. These wilderness areas are being replaced by with hotels that supposedly celebrate the local environment when in reality all they do is infringe on the wildlife. We no longer can travel anywhere to appreciate a region's natural beauty. Over building and over population have successfully crowded out the flora and fauna.

We think that the next generation will handle it differently. Let's face facts we're just giving birth to another generation of eco terrorists. Bad enough some governments encourage large families that in turn will deplete their local resources. Worldwide we should nudge couples to have just one or two children. To have more would just be selfish on the parents' part. As much as we do need future generations to carry on we don't need billions of babies. After all they will be coexisting with not just one generation older than they, but with two or three. More of everything will have to be created just to maintain these extra lives.

What can we do to stop ourselves from being eco terrorists? More green leaders must be elected worldwide and they must rally for eco friendly policies. One suggestion is prod universities and research teams to step up on studies regarding global warming along with more extensive research on carbon emissions. Another solution would be instituting electric and/or hydrogen vehicles as a must for any driver across the planet. We, ourselves, should be more earth conscious and not just on our town's recycling days. Homeowners should invest in solar panels and embrace using gray water in their daily routines. We should not encourage yet another strip mall in the neighborhood but fight for more green spaces.

Can we stop the biggest terror threat to the planet?

The answer should be yes but unfortunately it's not.

After all any form of terrorism never really dies. It just becomes stronger.