Thomas Friedman is right on the beam...

...in today's column about the need for an Apollo Program-type initiative to find an alternative to oil. He writes, "If President Bush made energy independence his moon shot, he would dry up revenue for terrorism; force Iran, Russia, Venezuela and Saudi Arabia to take the path of reform - which they will never do with $45-a-barrel oil - strengthen the dollar; and improve his own standing in Europe, by doing something huge to reduce global warming. He would also create a magnet to inspire young people to contribute to the war on terrorism and America's future by becoming scientists, engineers and mathematicians. "This is not just a win-win," said the Johns Hopkins foreign policy expert Michael Mandelbaum. "This is a win-win-win-win-win."



Exactly. This is so obvious that the thought is actually starting to hurt my brain. Given Bush's undying fealty to

1) the oil industry, and

2) anti-science religious nuts

Friedman's idea is the longest of long-shots. But--GODDAMN it!--maybe saying it over and over is a tiny way to make it happen. Thoughts do create new realities; in fact, they are the only way new realities happen.



Speaking of, if you're the type of person who can stare at your own hand and freak yourself out (without the aid of any chemicals whatsoever), you should definitely see "What the Bleep Do We Know?" Great movie.



It's a paradox of our time--perhaps THE paradox of our time--that as we accrue more scientific knowledge that any other civilization in the history of the planet, more and more people are turning away from Science. As I said to my Dad once, "Knowing things in not for the faint of heart." Will we have the courage to keep seeking knowledge, or will we retreat, and in so doing create a world much worse than we can imagine?