A beacon of hope spread as Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., entered the stage to a polite round of applause in the lecture hall in the Newman Center. The audience felt the effect of the economic crisis and the demise of the environment. We were all in dire need of a new plan, one that can bring us both prosperity and health. The seats were full of people, young and old, ready to hear the reaffirmation that it is possible to live in a country that is energy-independent and still admired by other countries. Kennedy started off by appealing to the Colorado pastime – going skiing with his children this weekend. This fact created a bond within the whole room – he understood our crazy fixation with skiing and the outdoors – he’s one of us. I imagined him on the slopes with the sea of people in this room, and a comforting feeling resounded throughout the crowd. All of us felt as if we were sitting at a dinner table listening to our optimistic, intelligent brother or uncle talk about the future of our country.
Being in a wilderness state, he understood that the audience did not need to be persuaded to love the wilderness, but rather needed to be educated about what the company he works for is doing right now to help the environment, and what the future of our country will look like with the right leadership and commitment. He emphasized that the environment and economy are interconnected; when one is being hurt, the other decreases, and when one is thriving, the other is prosperous as well. He stated “Nature is the infrastructure of our nation, the basis of our economy, and the unifying agent of humanity.”
By taking a look at other countries that are moving towards a carbon-free existence, he was able to reinstall hope in the minds of Americans that we will be able to create a nation with what he called “energy from heaven” – which is clean, safe, reusable, cheap and effective – and repair the tragedy of a century or more of using the “energies from hell” – which are dirty, expensive, dangerous, and support countries that have different values from the USA. He states that we could do all this in three years. Kennedy related America to Iceland and Sweden, who changed to a non-carbon economy and are now the some of the richest countries in the world. America has more geothermal power than Iceland and the best solar and wind resources, therefore it also has the potential to rise again to the top, economically.
Not only did he point out that we have the greatest energy sources to replace these sources from hell, but he also stated how America is being torn away from its origins of democracy and what it means to be American by using such hurtful and inefficient energy sources. He stated that democracy came out of the wilderness; therefore we are hurting our democracy and going against it by polluting. Kennedy insisted that if the government would be committed and would help create a smart grid that would supply Americans with alternative energy, we could have free energy in the next three years. He stated that one year without oil would equal a future with free energy. One could tell that the audience was excited about this idea, but also wondering why we haven’t done this sooner. When Kennedy mentioned how the view of America has changed in the last eight years, there was a common consensus in the crowd - sighs and shaking of heads. He explained how when he was a little boy and visited Europe, Europeans rushed up to him to grasp a little bit of the American ideals and dream. Now, the whole world looks at us in disgust and blames us for the problems we face today. He wanted us to reclaim our ideals and live up to who Americans ought to be.
By constantly making fun of and pointing out the impracticalities and inefficiencies of the energy we use today, he showed that Americans, once again, are moving away from the good stereotypes, efficiency and practicality, and embracing the opposite of what we preach. He conveyed that Americans have been ignoring an open door full of energy and prosperity. We are trying to squeeze our way into a door that is closing faster and faster, and hurting us more and more. The humor used showed that the audience does understand the absurdity of our situation, and their hope that it will be fixed soon.
Our disastrous situation can be fixed quickly according to Kennedy, but he told us to act like we are at war in order to make this plan for a smart grid and a better future to come true. We need to fight to get the leadership and commitment we need to recreate the America he knew and the whole world admired when he was a small boy. This time the outcome of the war can only be positive, at least through his eyes. The audience nodded with inspiration and agreement when he spoke of his ideas. At the end, after saying that he’s talked too much and it is time for him to shut up, much like the kind uncle or brother would do, the crowd laughed and began to stand and applaud him. He stood to talk a little longer to answer some questions. As I left the room, I felt Kennedy’s excitement and optimism for the future of America attach to me and the rest of the audience, giving us hope for a return to the basis of our democracy and economy, nature.
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