As we go to press, American troops, tanks, and warships are pouring into the Middle East to the steady drumbeat of the warrior. But the drums are oil drums, and the enemy is a man who threatens the Western world's right to consume that oil in gargantuan quantities, at low prices.
Oil is our principal source of energy, and energy is what makes our engine run.
But in recent years we have learned that this engine is dangerous - it pollutes the air, warms the globe, and creates mountains of garbage and poisonous waste. And in our personal lives, we can barely keep up with its demands that we work harder, make more money, and buy more stuff to use up, throw out, then start all over again. The question has suddenly taken on a poignant urgency. We can easily blame corporations, or governments, or advertisers for our blitzkrieg destruction of the Earth in the name of cheap consumer goods. It can also be the key to personal fulfillment - to a life that is simpler, less cluttered, yet rich with purpose and meaning.