Waging Peace In the Middle East by Hitting Them Where It Counts

"If those were my kids? I'd put 'em on a frickin'(sp) time-out and take away their frickin' allowance."

The Alaska Pipeline delivers approximately 1.2 million barrels of oil per day, which is roughly half of America's daily consumption.

The other half we buy from the Middle East, and much of that oil is coming from our long-time and current enemies, like Iraq. (But, in all honesty: do we ever really know who our enemies are?)

We are paying them good U.S. greenbacks, which they are turning around and using to fund bio-chemical research, pay for tanks, planes, guns, bullets, and all those other fun, pesky, weapons of mass destruction.

This means: if we can figure out simple ways to reduce our dependence on oil by half and implementing these techniques into our daily lives, we could conceivably, painlessly ---end our economic-based relationship with our enemies.

I decided to take action, starting today.

Here is my Top Ten list of ways our household is going to try and bankrupt the enemy:

1. Schedule errands, dr.'s visits, and shopping trips to town on the same day, using the same vehicle, only once a week. Remember mandatory mid-day pit stop to refuel on a burger and a beer.

2. Switch to synthetic oil, keep vehicles tuned up for better mileage.

3. Bicycle, motorcycle during summer. (Gee, do I have to?)

4. Invest in hybrid electric car for the rest of the year (for me,) esp. when it gets down to -50. That number again is: minus 50. Below zero. Farenheit.

5. Save petroleum-based plastic bags from store; reuse till they disintegrate and fruit is escaping down driveway.

6. Turn down thermostat, put on sweats.

7. Fix broken stuff where heat leaks out.

8. Use mocha java latte money to buy municipal bonds: help build natural gas pipeline to North Slope.

(OK, this one isn't for everyone, but it will provide over half of Alaska residents with an alternative heating source, reducing the state's heating fuel consumption by half. See how easy this is, once you get going?)

9. Write board of directors of local electric power supplier to ask:
How's it going with that windmill turbine suggestion I made 10 years ago?

(At the end of our journey, moving up here, wind blew all my tupperware down the highway.)

10. Whenever possible? BUY GREEN, by limiting the purchase of products in plastic containers.

Unless it's milk. Then, you'd want to look for that waxed cardboard stuff. But not the recycled cardboard; you know, just the regular stuff.

I welcome any other suggestions! Kate S.