Now that all the major oil companies have declared their huge, record profits, the consumers and politicians at large are clamoring once again for windfall taxes on those profits. So, is this what we truly believe is equitable?

Look at it this way. Who was it that provided the oil companies with that profit? It was us. Believe me, I despised the $4+ gas prices as much as the next person. But, all of us are responsible for still using the gas and oil they were selling. We only have ourselves to blame. If we had been willing to push the idea of energy conservation and the use of renewable energy sources, we wouldn’t have found ourselves so dependent on oil in the first place. We ourselves have supported the model for so long and now we have to pay the piper.

When the firm you work for has an exceptionally good year and you really did well for your part and they give you a really nice bonus, would you be ok if the government came and added an additional tax since your personal profits are that much higher? For all you US citizens out there, would it be fine by you if the government put an additional tax on you because your yearly personal profits are five times more than billions of other people around the world and then they distributed that money to those poorer people, simply in the name of fairness? I didn’t think so.

I don’t think government’s place is to “make everything fair” according to our own desires. Like I tell my kids, “Life isn’t fair, get over it.” We have the ability to keep gas prices low and to induce further research and development of renewable energy – it’s called the law of supply and demand.

Instead of asking governement to get involved, we all need to commit within ourselves that we will find ways to reduce our share of the demand for oil. Prices will remain low and oil companies, always in search of profits will continue to invest in other technologies and services – most likely renewable energy. So quit complaining and do something about it.

So, why is it that most of the electric cars being made out there have to be so small? What about people with families? What about if you need to take a trip? Where do you put the luggage? I understand that even the small ones will help with the environment but why start out with such a limitation in size?

It has become quite common knowledge that the price of scrap metals has fallen dramatically. Recycling facilities and scrap processors can’t even ship the material anywhere because so few are even buying. There is an oversupply of material in the markets right now. So, what kind of effect will this have on recycling rates?

I think we have hit a critical time in the history of recycling. With little to no financial incentive to recycle, will regular consumers continue to recycle? Or, will they start to throw those items in the trash? At some point, if yards fill up enough and there is no longer room to accept any more material, will the general public hold onto their recyclables until the markets get moving again? How much do you really care about recycling? Enough to store the material for a few months, letting it stack up in your garage or wherever? I think it’s a question we all need to ask ourselves to judge our true commitment to recycling.

Do the majority of people in the US believe enough in the need to live a greener lifestyle to actually do something about it? Or do they need extra incentives to encourage them to do so?

While I haven’t seen any recent numbers on the US, it would appear that the Brits (who we tend to lag behind in environmental issues) have not completely fallen in love with green lifestyles. So, if that is the case, is it possible that the current trend toward greener lifestyles is in danger of becoming just a fad – like it was in the 70s? Will we return to previous habits once the newness wears off and it’s no longer chic to be green?

It seems that the economic crisis has also hit the green sector. Due to the credit crunch, electric car manufacturers may have to delay development and production. It also stands to reason that any development project has an inherent risk now of not attaining funding, particularly in the commercial sector. So, if you were planning to purchase one of the new “Model S” cars from Tesla, better put your wallet away for a little.