This was a letter to Homepower that they wont print but I think it addresses something very important. >>> Hello Mr. Perez, I am sending this as a letter to the editor. I doubt that you will include this in your readers forum, but that is just the way it goes. I guess. skip

Dear Mr. Perez, The reason this planet is so messed up today is not because of yours and mine insatiable appetite for energy, but rather the way we obtain it. We want someone else to do all the material handling for us so that we merely enjoy the end product. Sadly, we are willing to pay any price for that. Pollution, oppression, and burning babies are the by-products of those who provide us with a refined product. You and I would never do such things; even for the great wealth it gives because we have a concious. The dirty part of this equation is when these ugly byproducts occur "somewhere else" , we really don't give a damn. I have yet to see the staunchest liberal do something of significance for the Bohpal, India crisis. Likewise, we still are bombing Iraq, and the uglyness going on in Africa is funded by oil companies. Yet...there is an answer! (or was?) Renewable energy. Solar, wind, hydro, steam, etc.... allowed us to be self-sufficient, thereby causing minimal impact on the environment and our neighbors. What a beautiful future RE offers(ed) for the world. All this, though was to the great dismay of the overlords who live on a small island. After all, it is their wealth and power that gives us our luxuries, our wars, our banking system, our '70's oil crisis, genocides, and nowadays, even our social engineering. It was beyond my comprehension how Americans could give away the wildcard in a promising hand. And yet, that is exactly what has happened. The British, being unable to compete have bought all our most important infrastructures, such as power companies, pharmecueticals, etc... and we just sit there saying that the economy is doing good, forget the future. And look what they have done! In classic Edward the Longshanks tradition, the British have bought up their future competition. BP's empire grows exponentially these days. You could say that it will be a beautiful world in the future because all our electricity will come from solar cells. Question is: who owns the solar cells? It is a virtual guarantee that once BP builds those big megawatt solar powerplants, private power will be outlawed through the permit process. Far fetched? Well, look at alcohol, tobacco, firearms, shipping and trade laws. Ask Ghandi about the right to make your own clothes and salt. Ask South Africans who owns their diamonds. Heck, as the folks in Iowa City about the 'private' nuclear power plant that powers the Archer Daniels Midland v.a.p. plant there. We do not want these foreigners in charge of America's future! But you know, the most autrocious thing of all, is the turncoats who not only sell out the future of their own children, but smile on the way to the bank about it. That's right. I'm talking about you, Mr. Perez. Those big beautiful ads you sell to the very nemesis to the movement you started. You have the power, more than anyone, to remedy or accelerate this awful situation we are now in. What happened to the guy who just wanted to go out into the woods and listen to the Greatful Dead on a solar powered boom box? I am worried now. If a strong person like you can sell out on his ideals, I am not sure that I could withstand the same temptations myself. Please, please tell us, Mr. Perez. What made you do it?

Skip Goebel 152 Von Goebels Lane Branson, MO 65616 417 336 2869 www.sensiblesteam.com

-- Skip Goebel (sensiblesteam@aol.com), May 25, 2000

Answers

I am going to check out your web site when I get finished with my work. You made some excellent points in your article!!! I'm sorry that wouldn't print it but that doesn't surprise me.

Why don't you change it's slant a little and submit it as a letter to the editor to several of the newspapers in your area?????? (I will be happy to give you some pointers on that if you want to e-mail me direct)

You have some important things to say and the more we can get those thoughts out into the "real" world the better we all will be!!!!

-- Suzy in 'Bama (slgt@yahoo.com), May 25, 2000.