For the first time in history, the price of oil dipped below zero on April 20, 2020. For those of us who have felt impotent to do anything about a changing climate, hog-tied by our demand for fossil fuels, it’s reassuring to see investors for once noticing that oil is indeed less valuable than the food we eat. The move also shows that we can cut our global consumption of oil considerably—we just need the collective impetus to do so.
A critic asserts that while this is true now, our dependency will return as soon as our communities resume normal activities. Perhaps. But this pandemic is more than just a hard stop on our economy, it’s a confrontation of systemic hazards we’ve collectively accepted. Beyond our dependency on fossil fuels, a far more insidious villain is the illusion that we can do nothing to change these structures. We must change our priorities and embrace a new ethic in lockstep with each other.
Stephanie Beard
Santa Rosa
Nickel and Dimed
It’s been more than 30 days since Congress passed the third stimulus bill and more than half of us still have yet to receive a dime. Rent and mortgage is past due. $1,200 falls miserably short of what we all need for two months sheltering, and well less than every other industrialized country has given their citizens.
But why is it that YOUR Congress seems much more worried about giving money to big corporations and rich people than making sure that you survive? Does your representative seem outraged? Does your representative seem fine with you falling behind on rent and into debt? If so, then do you really have any representation? It’s time to vote out incumbents.
Jason Kishineff
American Canyon
