If humans can do anything now to stop global warming, wouldn’t the press be pressing you to get it done? Of course, they would.

When the reckless war in Iraq began, wasn’t it the press who let you know it was a mistake just two or three years later? When banks were loaning your money on obscenely over-inflated home values, didn’t the fourth estate investigate and tell you about it as soon as world markets began their collapse? Where would your finances be if the world news didn’t keep you believing in the security of the securities racket?

Rest assured that as soon as the planet sinks into permanent ecological disaster, the news coverage—rich, full and retroactively informative— will be there. Until then, why tax those highly evolved brains by thinking for yourself? You’ve never had to before.

The nations that produce your oil, such as Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and Neo-Soviet Russia deserve more from you than just your money. These oil-producing nations, as moral and political enemies of the United States, help feed anti-American sentiment within their borders and around the globe. Terrorism and iron-fist rule is by no means cheap to maintain and wouldn’t be possible without a healthy dose of over consumption from US citizens. So, the next time you take time to donate to their cause with a hearty refill of gas, also take time to appreciate the efforts of these nations who provide that gas.

But, more than supporting terror or the Reunification of the Soviet Union, your dollars support the American military machine. America needs a strong military to protect itself from the nations it supports financially through its oil consumption. This means that every gallon of gas you buy is an indirect vote of support for the US military and military families. Without your diligent use of gas, many fewer soldiers would have a job to do.

Before you decide to carpool, or trade in your gas-guzzler for a hybrid, or save a half-gallon of gas by riding your bike to the movies; take a moment to appreciate how much these seemingly small “green” alternatives can cost in human profit. Don’t just look at the world as a place you want your grandkids to inherit, realize that anti-American nations have grandkids too.

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