When the predictable happens

The Cosco Busan as a symptom of our energy habit

When the Cosco Busan struck the Bay Bridge, news flooded the media about the terrible "accident".

But when we in California use tens of millions of gallons of oil every single day, and habitually require oil-filled container ships to come in and out of our ports, is a spill now and then really an accident? When California ranks first in the nation in gasoline consumption, and second in jet-fuel consumption, should we really be surprised or outraged at the occasional spillage? Crude-oil pipelines criss-cross our state, refineries churn daily in San Francisco, Los Angeles, and the Central Valley, and our major ports consistently receive massive shipments of foreign crude. Despite California's impressive progress in the past couple of years in the promotion of renewable resources, our economy is heavily based on fossil fuels, and until we change that, these "accidents" will continue to occur.

After the spill, Bay Area residents rallied together to clean up the mess. Parents, teachers, doctors, farmers, scientists, and children alike volunteered time, expertise, and energy. Our community worked together.

What if we took this same type of energy and community effort and applied it not just to the spill - a symptom of our fossil-fuel dependency, but to the root of the problem instead? In these winter months, we have an opportunity to reduce our energy usage through simple actions. While we've all heard of turning down the thermostat a few degrees, using extra blankets instead of heaters, and carpooling to work, several recently launched Bay Area-oriented web sites offer even more creative ideas for sustainable living.

• Idealbite.com offers little "bite-sized" ideas for making greener choices that are simple and appealing;
• Weeklyphil.com and Greenopia.com/sf suggest everything from green Bay Area restaurants and nightlife to green philanthropic work.

While the small ideas they suggest might seem trivial, all large movements begin with small, meaningful changes in thinking. The first step is bringing sustainability into your consciousness, and that may mean starting by acknowledging that the Cosco Busan was not an "accident" but was instead a predictable result of our choices.

The next step is organizing - to expand these personal small steps into systematic changes throughout the nation and world. The Bay Chapter is working to start this process throughout the Bay Area and to set a model for the rest of the nation. To join in these efforts, contact or call (510) 848-0800, ext. 316

For more information on green living and coastal protection, contact at the Great Coastal Places Campaign or call (213) 387-6528, ext. 204. Or to get more involved with coastal protection, go to www.sierraclub.org/ca/coasts and click "Join the Great Coastal Places Campaign."

Shannon Raj, organizer, Sierra Club Great Coastal Places Campaign