The Sink or Swim Project

 “I’m looking to take the oil. I want to take the oil. I want the oil.

We have to stop the source of money, and the source of money is oil”.

Presidential Candidate Donald Trump

This morning, as I watched some of the national news Sunday morning political talk shows, one featured a phone interview with businessman and Republican candidate Donald Trump. When he was asked about the Middle East and the ISIS terrorism group he suggested that ending the flow of money that ISIS receivces from its loyalists from their lucrative oil businesses was his goal.

“I’m looking to take the oil. I want to take the oil. I want the oil,” Trump said on ABC’s “This Week” television show. He continued by saying “we have to stop the source of money, and the source of money is oil.”

While I understand the sentiment about stopping the money that finances terrorists, I would like to see Mr. Trump and all of the candidates from both parties take his thinking at least one step further by ending reliance on fossil fuels in America. How about we, as a nation, come together and create solututions that end our reliance on fossil fuel based oil once and for all? I beleive that the candidates that make that their goal would have support from many Americans in next year’s Presidential election. Let’s not focus on ‘taking’ anyone’s oil and, instead, on how we can forever end reliance on fossil fuel based energy sources.

As I’ve said it before, I’m only sixteen and, as of yet, have no political affiliation. I am not republican or democrat. Heck, I’m not even old enough to vote! However, this is ridiculous. Our country’s dependence on foreign oil and its usage is causing our coastal states to essentially sink as the waters rise. The fact that many politicians in leadership positions are denying this and pandering to oil industry related special interests is appalling. Before we know it, many Floridians will become Georgians once our region is under water.

The good news is that people are starting to pay real attention. People are starting to ask hard questions and demand real answers. The science, of course, is indisputable. Consider that, according to the Union of Concerned Scientists, since 1854 12.5% of all industrial carbon pollution has been produced by just five businesses (you guessed it, all oil companies);

And if that’s not bad enough, consider that 48% of all carbon on our planet is produced by just 20 entities. 15 of those 20 are oil companies, and the top five are the same as in the infographic above: Chevron, ExxonMobil, BP, Shell, and ConocoPhillips.

The Union of Concerned Scientists estimate that 63% of all industrial carbon and methane in our atmosphere since 1854 comes, globally, from just 90 entities.

In 1963 then President John F. Kennedy challanged our country to send men to the moon by the end of that decade and within seven years, against all odds, the United States did exactly that and, in the process, changed the world. While candidates are looking to gain our attention and become the next President, I’d like to hear them talk about ending reliance on fossil fuels and bringing our Country together to create a solution for the world that will, again, change it for the better.

We need to stop the political rehtoric, stop allowing politicians from protecting special interests linked to the oil industry and begin focusing on ways to dramatically lower man made carbon emissions before its too late. We need to hear about specific plans to end reliance on fossil fuels and in doing so will not need to ‘take’ it as Mr. Trump suggested. If there is no demand then, it seems to me, that would solve two important problems.

My idea is to demand solutuions, yet also mandate that jobs here in America are protected, that no one loses their job. In fact, let’s mandate that solutions must be found, that reliance on fossil fuels must soon end (how about a goal to end it within 10 years?) and that those whose jobs would otherwise be impacted must stay employed, all-be-it in new energy roles and ways.

While I can’t yet vote for what I ‘want’, and hope many people who can vote desire, we need someone who will call for an end to our reliance on fossil fuels and, instead, demand new solutions. Someone who might say something along the lines of what’s at the bottom of this page as much, or more, than at the top;

 I’m looking to take the United States in a new direction, away

from its reliance on oil.  I want to take a new appropach to the oil.

I want our Country to end its reliance on the oil.

We have to stop the source of money, and the source of

money is oil, by creating new solutions to our energy needs.

New solutuons. Aggressive goals. That’s what we all need to hear about, support and demand of our leaders. The sooner, the better.