Illustration by Josh Hagler

Don't you mean, "Think globally, act locally?"

Nope. Not in this case.

There is an immense irony in the current diplomacy of the United States. While the Bush administration is working hard to build a global coalition against terrorism, it is tearing down another.

The United States is void in the global environmental network.

Last week in Marrakesh, Morocco, representatives of about 160 countries met to finalize the fine print of the 1997 Kyoto Protocol. Besides a casual glare toward American delegates who were just observing the discussion, all eyes were on Russia and Japan. The treaty needed to be ratified by at least 55 of the countries responsible for 55 percent of the world's 1990 greenhouse gas emissions for it to become final. The gap created by the absence of the United States had to be filled.

It is the general consensus of scientists worldwide that the earth is getting warmer. The dissenters argue that global warming is not of concern because it has been proven that the earth goes through cooling and warming cycles naturally. Sure, that is true. The argument is not that the earth is or isn't warming, but rather that human-caused greenhouse gas emissions are accelerating the rate at which the earth's temperature is rising.

Since the United States backed out with its golden tail between its legs this March, the treaty faced a near collapse. Although 15 European nations, Australia, Canada, Japan and Russia agree that carbon dioxide emissions need to be curbed, the United States begged to differ.

The science was faulty, they claimed. And of course, it might harm the economy.

Oliver Deleuze, the European Union's chief delegate, was relieved.

"We're quite confident now that the protocol is saved. I am sure all the countries will ratify, except for the United States," he said. "And those who don't ratify; that's for a political reason."

And without a doubt, Deleuze is correct. Beneath the coverage of the "War on Terrorism," the Bush administration is presently attempting to push the agenda, they brought to the White House, through Congress. This is permitting bills to roll in and out of Congress with hardly a peep from the public.

The most serious bill in the works on Capitol Hill is the proposed energy bill. While the rest of the world collaborated by signing the Kyoto Protocol, the Bush administration is drawing up its own plan to control "so-called" greenhouse emissions.

And it gets fishier. In early September, Vice President Dick Cheney refused to disclose to Congress information about a private meeting between his energy task force and various coal, natural gas, electricity, nuclear and gas extraction executives. Many of these businessmen were key lobbyists and generous donators to the Bush campaign. Let us remember that the Bush family is heavily invested in oil, and Cheney ran Halliburton Co., a gas extraction company, from 1995 to 2000.

When the Government Accounting Office ordered him to spill the details of the meeting, Bush invoked executive privilege and refused to disclose the documents to Congress.

In the final report given May 16, the new energy plan was smeared with industry interests. The nation's energy plan was to incorporate fewer pollution regulations, free-market initiatives and further development of more traditional fuels. This is the bill now being juggled by a war-distracted Congress.

The only reason the United States didn't sign the Kyoto Protocol is because it is not in alignment with the interests of the industries that put our current president in power. And that is embarrassing.

Americans pollute and consume the most, but when it comes to cleaning up our act, we blame the reasoning on phony science. We claim that an effort to clean up the skies will cause a slowdown in our economy.

Unfortunately, it makes too much sense. The Middle East crisis in many ways goes back to protecting America's oil rights. The Arctic National Wildlife Refuge is about to be turned into Swiss cheese because we, as Americans, refuse to adopt new ways. The administration fails to consider the economical potential of being the world leader in alternative energy production.

It is about acting globally to continue a lifestyle locally.

And hey locals, it is about to come closer to home. There is a huge 1,800-megawatt natural gas fired power plant by Southwestern Power Group II and Toltec Power ready to grace the Picacho Peak region with its presence if we don't act.

It is time to block the industry-sponsored energy bill. We need to let the rest of the world know that we refuse to be bullied by the Bush administration's money-driven interests.