Investment in Renewable Energy Aimed at Strengthening Energy Security of Tribal Nations

Writing for the terrific new website “Empower the Ocean,” UK journalist Emma Websdale just posted a story about the Native American Tribal Nations, in which she notes: “In an attempt to strengthen (these nations) against the threats of climate change, the U.S. Department of Energy (DoE) has announced that it will invest over US$7 million into nine tribal clean energy projects.”

Emma:  I admire your “glass is half full” approach to covering stories like these, but I react quite differently when I’m reminded of this tragedy.  To me, it’s fundamentally a story about cruelty and irresponsibility.

Here are people, the Native Americans, who, when they make a decision on behalf of their tribe, contemplate the well-being of a minimum of seven generations down the line.  Since the European settlers arrived here 400 years ago, the indigenous people have suffered terribly — simply because the white man overpowered them, then went on to demonstrate something remarkable: we really don’t care about the future at all.  200 years ago it was the slaughter of the American bison (and of the Native Americans themselves); now it’s climate change and the resulting desertification of what remains of their land, brought on by our reckless and corrupt energy policy.

Same story – different century.