Hands Over Sands Report

  Last week I joined in with the local Hands over Sand demonstration, joining hands over the Tennesse River that flows eventually into the Gulf of Mexico.  This was a show of support of the cleanup effort of the oil spill and alternative energy.  I stand behind that and was there to lend my hands.

   But I don't go so far as to demand a ban on drilling.  I am very suspect on easy solutions.  I have heard it argued if we are going to use the oil, it is hypocritical to ban oil wells on our shores because of the risk.  Do we foist that risk on other countries? Other shores?  This oil spill is a reminder of one of the ugly aspect of oil use.  Do we hide it away from our view as we continue our pace of use?

  Obviously before we decide where our oil should come from, we need to seek out ways of using it less.  Alternative energies is a place to start looking.  Again, I am all for that.

   But it seems there was a lack of talk of what should be coming before the alternative energy talk-just using less.  Cutting back on an individual level and asking for more infrastructure that would support using less. To me this is the first item of the agenda.  Then alternative energy, and then finally  how do we get the oil that I know we will continue to use until every drop is sucked out.

  So with that in mind, I was expecting more people to show up on bicycles.  Even if people had driven to the North Shore and then rode their bikes the last yards, the presence of bikes would have been a strong statement.  But there were only 2 bikes to show up-mine and one other. That is is.  Out of more then 80 people. 

  No one else thought to ride a bike to underscore the statement being made.  Nobody else thought that avoiding their car for this demonstration would have been a powerful statement unto itself. (there were some walkers that I commend, except there are no visuals for the walkers)

  Hmm...I am sensing a bit of disconnect here.  Could that be our problem?