Conservative Conservative

by
Suzann Darnall

I would love to be a conservative Conservative. I would love to be able to do more to conserve our environment and our resources . . . in a sensible way and through my own choices. I do not want it forced on me through regulations and legislation. I do not want false premises and junk science being used to make decisions that affect all aspects of our society. But, I would, if possible, choose to be "green" in many ways.

Neither the majority of businesses nor government bureaucracies make it affordable, sensible, or easy to be "green." If companies and government really wanted us to conserve resources, they would help individuals and households to be able to do it, without hardship.

Instead of wasting money on all the "green" energy scams, our federal government should have used it to fund individuals who were willing to add solar energy or wind energy to their properties. I firmly believe going "green" through individuals is a bigger win-win situation than all the regulations, restrictions, and "green" energy technology bailouts. People making a difference, one household at a time, all across communities and throughout the nation will bring real hope and real change.

My husband and I live in the hill country of Texas, atop a rise that catches breezes and winds from all directions, as well as having sunshine most days of the year. Between the wind and sun, we could probably be "off the grid" most hours of most days. We are very seldom without sun during daylight hours and wind or breezes are pert near non-stop. But, the cost is so prohibitive to install the equipment that we have been prevented from doing so. However, grants to us and others like us, would have achieved so much more for the environment and easing power gridlock than did the waste of the Solyndra Scam, similar wastes of money, or those looming in the future. I would imagine at a much lower cost, too.

Additionally, water conservation systems would help us stretch our water resources. But, the systems are expensive. Wouldn't it make more sense to help ease droughts before the fact, by sharing the money with home owners, ranchers, farmers, and others, so they could put rain collection or other systems in place? We should rethink old ways, like using gray-water to water lawns, rather than just sending it into septic systems or sewers.

We live on a well, so we don't pay for water and sewage, but we do pay for the electricity to pump the water. And, every drop we use means a drop gone from the aquifer that provides for a vast portion of our Texas Hill Country. If we could not only collect rainwater to use for such things as watering lawns and refilling my horses' trough, but also reuse our gray-water for watering trees and grass, what an easing that would be of our impact on the local environment. Imagine if it was happening not only across Texas, but throughout America. Wouldn't that be more sensible and more environmentally friendly than watering restrictions, increased usage fees, and giving money away to "green" companies? Again, spread those funds to the citizens to use to make their homes more "green" and there will be real change. As well as more help to the economy. There would be more money to businesses and extra disposable income. Win-win, again!

Think how many thousands, if not actually tens or even hundreds of thousands, of households could at least partially go off the power & utility grids if they distributed the "green" funds to citizens to use for installing solar panels, wind turbines, water collectors, on-demand water heaters, gray-water reuse systems, and the like? It would not only help the environment, it would help the economy, in at least two ways. Businesses would benefit from the sale of the "green" systems and households would have more disposable income, saved from utility costs, to spend elsewhere. Definitely a win-win situation from where I am sitting. As opposed to the lose-lose-lose more money situations set up by Obama and all his czars!

Even recycling is nearly impossible in many situations. My family and I have done recycling in those places which offered recycling bins for trash collection. But, I am not going to pay for a garbage truck to pick up my trash and then haul half of it myself to a recycling center. I do not have the money, time, or strength to waste doing a job I already paid to be done by others.

But, I do reuse plastic and paper bags, as well as taking reusable bags when grocery shopping. We also have a refuse burn pile for leaves, deadwood, and the like from around the property. Plus, I try to recycle old clothing to either my quilt room (in the case of denim jeans) or to charity.

While two of our vehicles are gas-hogs, we use them minimally for their specific purposes. We use our van to haul my Great Dane around or to tow our camping trailer. The pickup is for hauling hay and making supply runs to Lowe's. Our other vehicles, which get good miles per gallon, are used for commuting and jaunting about. But, even then, I try to be conservative and schedule my errands so that I am not running hither-and-yon on multiple days or going back-n-forth randomly.

Nevertheless, I am a fan of the US becoming energy independent in all ways. Including fossil fuels! Just as I try to make wise use of my resources, I want America to be able to make wise use of her resources. We need to be allowed to drill, dig, pump, distribute, burn, refine, and whatever else it takes to use our own coal, natural gas, oil, and other energy options.

The EPA and others need to get off the backs of the American businesses and citizens. They need to have very selective and limited powers. They are one of the first groups we should be lopping down to manageable size when we start down-sizing government and bureaucracies.

I guess I simply feel that conservation, like so many other areas, is a personal responsibility issue and should not be government mandated. In my opinion, when too much is taken out of the individual's power, we cease to care about it. That is a whole lot of what is wrong with the world today. Too many people don't care, 'cause they've been taught they aren't responsible. It's not their fault. Therefore it's not their problem or concern. We need to take back America, one person at a time, one concern at a time, one freedom at a time, and one election at a time.

I urge all y'all to vote Conservative and live conservative. It's not only the Right thing to do; it's the right thing to do.

© Suzann C. Darnall, OCTOBER 2011