By Matt Sloustcher, GreenPepper
Watching The Blue Angels soar over the San Francisco skyline this weekend was an amazing sight, one that I look forward to annually. This year, however, there was a new sound in the air. Since practice sessions began on Thursday, greenies have been grumbling about wasted jet fuel and the general environmental degradation caused by the event. I witnessed most of this online, but others mentioned it as we stood on my roof watching the sky. It should come as no surprise; in this new era of social responsibility, everything is being called out. There was tremendous fallout last week when the President and first lady took separate jets across the Atlantic to lobby on behalf of Chicago’s Olympic bid, for example.
On gut reaction alone, my feeling is that the tradition should live on. In addition to pure entertainment value, arguments can be made that the show boosts the Navy’s recruiting potential and inspires people to think about public service. But I wonder, shouldn’t the Navy use this opportunity to educate people on the efforts it is taking to clean up its act? For example, the Navy is pouring millions into researching alternative fuels and other forms of energy, but the Website makes no mention. If I had my way, the Navy would showcase its current efforts and make a pledge that they will work to make the event carbon neutral within a decade. That’s leadership.
