JACQUELINE MARCUS FOR BUZZFLASH AT TRUTHOUT

Consider the unending BP Gulf oil spill and Japan’s nuclear radiation catastrophes, global warming on the rise, thousands of species that are either extinct or threatened with extinction, glaciers melting, deforestation, overpopulation, lifeless oceans “designated dead zones,” and you’ll arrive at the conclusion that the earth is in fact-dying.

It’s mind-blowing when you actually think about it: The fate of our planet, our destiny, is being determined by a small group of wealthy corporatists and politicians, who control, and profit from, dirty energy and military-war decisions. The consequences of their decisions have already brought about an unfathomable hell of economic and ecological ruin. (Read Naomi Klein’s The Shock Doctrine) If they are allowed to have their way over the opposition of millions of people, globally speaking, the future could very easily resemble the 1973 sci-fi film “Soylent Green“.

I don’t think food rations will be made from dead people, but otherwise, this is not paranoia talk.

Seafood from both the Gulf and Japan is a health risk. Seawater tested near Japan’s coast show radiation surged to 7.5 million times above the regulatory limit. The affected zone is banned for fishing. Near the Gulf of Mexico, fishermen complain about oil found in the shrimp, clams and fish.

Much of what is described in “Soylent Green” has already become an acceptable reality without much resistance. As seen in the film, the dark fate of an overpopulated and polluted earth, where nature and all other species became extinct, happened because of the insanely greedy decisions made by a small group of industrial corporatists who influenced members of congress, the executive and judicial officials of government, through power and wealth, including the infiltration of government agencies that were supposed to protect the public from corporate abuses and ecological ruin; think of the lax regulations at the Minerals Management Service and the Nuclear Regulatory Agency that rubber stamp safety checks for the oil and nuclear industries and you’ll get the picture. The government and the media are both controlled by the same few wealthy industrialists.

Question: How can a small group of industrialists determine the fate of our planet overeveryone and everything else?!

I repeat: a small minority of industrial polluters, Wall St. investors, and politicians are allowed to literally destroy the entire planet as we know it for short-term profits that benefit them andthem alone. They’re legally allowed to poison our planet so that they can buy more private jets and more mansions.

These decisions are being made every day at the White House-Congress without the people’s consent. Recently, Obama mentioned renewable energy as a footnote but like a salesman for the oil industry, he’s campaigning for an increase of U.S. domestic oil and natural gas production. He’s even pushing Brazil for more offshore oil drilling where the conditions are ideal for solar energy. Why should that decision be made by him and his oil friends? “Solar” is a strictly forbidden word in Obama’s vocabulary. Message to the White House: There’ll be noincrease of polluting oil, gas or nuclear power in the state of California where two new solar plants have been built and will generate 800 megawatts roughly equal to the size of a large coal-burning power plant or a small nuclear plant. A megawatt is enough power to run a large Wal-Mart store. Why wouldn’t Wal-Mart Inc. want to save millions in utility bills?

We have the means to shift to clean energy sources. After all, what’s more important: a dying planet or profits that enrich the few?

Why should nuclear power plants take precedence over the threat of plutonium radiation, a far greater threat to millions of lives than the trumped up fear of terrorism? The answer: So that a minority of greedy men can live high on the hog while the earth perishes.

The President should be doing more than hollow acts of political theatre. The “urgency of NOW” demands that he meet with executives of the auto companies to provide incentives for affordable, no-emissions vehicles, and for building solar stations to recharge electric cars. If consumers could buy economy electric cars for less than $20,000 they’d sell like hot cakes. In fact, even at higher prices, the auto industry has not kept up with the huge demand for electric cars; there are waiting lists for orders, given the high price of gas. The people have made the change. It’s our government that’s holding us back.

“There has been a huge demand for the Leaf,” says Dennis Smoot of Nissan.

The dealer’s sales manager says the electric car, unveiled this year, sold out in 2010. They’re now taking deposits for cars. That hasn’t stopped people from calling, and asking to see it, or buy it.

“And I expect it to (increase) as we go into the summer because of the fear of gas prices,” Smoot said.

“I haven’t even noticed the prices,” says Leaf owner Tyler Marshall, one of the few people in Western Washington driving the car, which promises to deliver 100 miles on a single charge. “I think it’s $12 a month or so on electricity, I would have spent $150-200 on gas, so I’m saving quite a bit.” (Demand for Electric Cars)

Rather than subsidizing oil companies that earn $60 billion in profits annually, nearly tax-free, this administration should provide green energy subsidies to solar/wind companies. The White House door is closed to renewable energy leaders and environmentalists. But there are no shortages of W. H. invitations to Republicans, to oil and nuclear power executives that call the shots.

We don’t have to accept a “Soylent Green” future so that a few greedy families can maintain their super rich status. Fortunately, U.S. corporate globalization isn’t working. World leaders are acting on “the urgency of now,” and at the same time, putting U.S. politicians to shame. Australia and many European countries are preparing the way:

Apparently not content with just one giant ongoing infrastructure project, Australia has committed to fully outfitting three of its biggest cities for widespread electric car use. In hardware terms, that amounts to 200,000-250,000 charging stations each for Melbourne, Sydney and Brisbane, with an additional 150 battery swap stations scattered between them. The effort will cost $1bn in Australian Dingo Dollars, which is about $667m USD. If that’s not ambitious enough for you, consider this: it should be online in three years… (Australia Building Huge Electric Car Grid: 600,000+ Stations By 2012)

Incidentally, it cost American taxpayers between $400-800 million to bomb Libya. This government could have built electric car grids of 600,000 + stations for the same price tag. Pass that on to the Obama campaign. We can no longer afford to be complacent. We must insist on replacing polluting energy production with clean, harmless energy. Yes We Can!-with or without Obama. It’s up to us, not them.