GREEN vs OIL

By Bill Denneen

I consider myself a "green". I have been called other terms such as "tree-hugger", "liberal" and even an "enviro-wacko". Greens were a exotic, small group to be tolerated. No more------being "green" is "IN".

Time Magazine selected the "Man of the Year" for 2006 with a mirror on the front page. When I looked at the cover and saw myself-----brilliant!!! Greens reached a tipping point this year when recycling, bicycling, eco-investing, hanging laundry in the sun, solar panels on the roof, ZEV’s (zero emission vehicles), photo-voltaics, and plain walking became the wave of the future. A critical mass of citizens, entrepreneurs and political candidates have now become "green". It is the most patriotic, capitalistic, healthy, and competitive thing to do. Tom Friedman of the NYTimes has come up with motto: "Green is the new red, white and blue."

Strange as it seems, President Bush started it all when he said: "We are addicted to oil".

I wish I could reverse the aging process so I could lead this new wave but at least I feel I have been part of getting it started. Over the years I have led thousands into nature such as the mountains, coast & dunes. I joined Kathlene Goddard Jones in preventing a nuclear power plant from being built in the Nipomo Dunes. I have fought a supertanker port and a housing development on Point Sal. I have planted thousands of native acorn. I helped start the Nipomo Native Garden. I pointed out the contamination of the Unocal Oil Field. I was arrested in front of Diablo because they didn't know they would do with their terrible waste (still don't). I was a leader in closing the Casmalia Toxic Waste Dump. I've led nature hikes every Sunday for 30 years----Steve Moss of New Times gave me the title I love------ "Eco-Hooligan".

The change has been too slow for me but it is finally here. "Green" is "IN". Even the Pentagon has given birth to "Green Hawks" who are obsessed with powering our army with less energy. Gore has become a leader by educating us about global warming. The last election had ads on how "green" candidates were. Even Wal-Mart got the green bug because they found how profitable being energy efficient could be. They opened two new stores with alternative building materials, wind turbines in the parking lot, solar panels, and using waste cooking oil for an energy source.

Driving vehicles for so-called "recreation" has finally come up for debate.

We evolved in a much different habitat than we are (were?) creating. Our synthetic chemicals, our plastics, our cars & roads, our planting of exotic plants (e.g. veldt grass & eucalyptus) are changing the habitat that nurtured our species. It is causing the extinction rate of organisms on this tiny planet to explode. Extinction was last this high at the end of the Mesozoic Era----65 million years ago. At that time it caused the end of the dinosaurs and was due to a shifting of the earth's axis. Today the high extinction rate is caused by Homo sapiens (us).

Our culture has considered the Chumash as primitive and not very smart. Consider the fact that their culture lasted for 10,000 years while our culture has been here for less than 300 years and is in my opinion in its final "glow". I will continue to try to change where we are headed but time is running out.

On Feb.5th I attended a "hearing" called by Supervisor Katcho Achadjian, <kachadjian@co.slo.ca.us>, dealing with vehicle "recreation" on Oceano Beach & Nipomo Dunes. The packed room listened while Katcho gave a historical coverage which I enjoyed as I had lived that history starting in 1960. One of the vehicle people mentioned that I drove my jeep over the dunes in the 1960ies which was true.(I used to smoke too). In about 1970 the All Terrain Vehicles (ATV's) made by corporations like Honda hit the dunes in huge numbers and made the oil corporations rich.. This "invasion" of the dunes & beach made me realized vehicles do NOT belong in this unique, sensitive habitat.

In 1982 the CA Coastal Commission helped establish the State Vehicle Recreation Area (SVRA) to get vehicles off the rest of the dunes & coast. SLOCounty leased 580 acres to the SVRA. This land which represents 44% of the SVRA is up for either sale to the state, lease again to state or trade with state for a Oso FLaco Lake County Park. Larry Bross brought action that brought the issue to the Planning Commission which voted unanimously not (repeat not) to sell to the state.

Part of the hearing was the Alternative Access Study ($190,000) by Condor Environmental's Elihu Gervirtz who covered his study looking for alternatives for vehicles crossing Arroyo Grande Creek with its 4 endangered species.. All alternatives had problems. If there must be an SVRA it seems the refinery (Conoco-Phillips) is the best alternative access if there has to be one.

The hearing of Feb. 5th in Oceano had a large turn-out of citizens, many not wanting vehicle "recreation" on our beach and dunes. Green is "IN". The time has come to stop "vehicle recreation" that pollutes the air we breath, contributes to global warming, uses a finite fossil fuel that is running out and makes us fatter due to lack of exercise.

(this should be in the Adobe Press on Feb.16th) (comments welcome) (letters to editor & Katcho suggested)

END