Editor,
What kind of leader would you like to be?
Our involvement in Libya may not seem related to the health of our planet, but it brings up interesting issues. President Obama said that we are in Libya because we have a responsibility to be a world leader.
I say that we are hardly a world leader, except perhaps in military. Would you rather lead the world in battles won or smallest carbon footprint, enemies engaged or research funded?
Here are a few categories that are ahead of the curve:
The good
• Country with the most coastline: ninth
• Overall potential for renewable energy:
second
• Percentage of waste recycled: seventh
The bad
• Most carbon emissions: second
• Highest water polluters: second
It’s estimated that we spend millions each day fighting wars.
Meanwhile, our economy is bad, there aren’t enough jobs, and our carbon footprint gets bigger every day. The president is right. We should be a world leader. But being a leader is about more than just having a stellar military.
Obama said our involvement in Libya is a response to a threat to our “interests and values,” but what about our other interests and values, ones that have a foothold here in this country, and also all over the world?
A fraction of the money we spend in one day fighting wars could open an aquarium, set up a renewable energy company, or build 10,000 hybrid cars. Each provides more jobs, strengthens our economy and helps save Earth just a little bit.
The United States ranks ninth for the most coastline, but we hardly utilize this resource, at least for more than fishing and beachfront hotels.
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Marine preserves are an excellent way to protect vital ecosystems, and they also bring in more sustainable profits than destroying the land for property development or overfishing.
Ecotourism creates jobs in industries, and provides essential protection to resources that are disappearing.
When you think about our “interests and values,” shouldn’t they include sustainability, conservation, economic growth and lower unemployment?
Being a world leader should mean leading the way in moving our world forward. It should include fighting for interests, but not the kind of fighting done with no-fly zones and anti-aircraft guns.
I want to be a leader that values the world’s long-term health, instead of one focused on the short-term reordering of a country. I want to lead the world into an age of sustainable coastline practices, one that values economic success and protects natural resources. And I hope that you do, too.
Jessica Stephens
UNM student
