World Watch Woes

Of the quizzes available on the World Watch website, I scored best on the one concerning population, health and the economy and worst on the one about energy, climate and pollution, etc. I took a conservation class only just last year and thought I knew more about current issues involving the environment, but boy was I wrong!

It was alarming to discover that in 2002 the U.S spent $943 billion on military expenses while the United Nations only spent $2.82 billion on peace-keeping efforts. This is simply outrageous! Yes, 9/11 necessitated some defense spending in the war against terror, but I think a large portion of this cost could have been offset by more monetary support from the U.N. And what do we really have to show for the $943 billion spent in that year alone?

Also, I was surprised to learn that the U.S. produced the most oil in 1950, and that in 2003 Russia dominated oil production. Why? In the news all we ever hear about is how the U.S is dependent on oil from the Middle East and our present War on Iraq further supports this notion. Furthermore, why if it’s been more than half a century since the U.S. has been a leader in oil production have we not been more aggressive in transitioning to alternative energy sources?

Finally, I was reassured to find out that hydropower and traditional biomass forms of energy were consumed most in 2000 after oil, coal and natural gas. Hopefully this statistic reveals a trend toward safer, cleaner, more environmentally friendly energy use. Only time will tell.