In a galaxy not so far away

VIC LEIPZIG AND LOU MURRAY

It was a Darth and storied knight. Suddenly a Sith ran out. He

assumed power, declared himself Emperor and dismantled the Republic.

And that’s the way democracy ended, not with a battle, but with

the sound of thunderous applause.

Was it mere coincidence that the heroic Jedi Knights used blue

light sabers in Star Wars Episode III and the evil Sith Lords used

red ones? We think not.

Democracy died in that far-off galaxy when, during the heat of

battle, the Senators appointed Chancellor Palpatine the Supreme

Chancellor or Emperor or whatever the heck it was they called him.

During times of war, people tend to give their leaders too much

power because they are afraid. That far-off galaxy was no exception.

Ultimately, power corrupts. And ultimately, leaders with too much

power take actions other than those for which they were originally

elected or appointed.

If George Lucas wants to create a similar series using the Sith

Lords again, we have an initial episode to suggest. In a galaxy much

closer to home, people voted for a particular leader because their

country was attacked on that leader’s watch. The people were afraid

to switch leaders. They wanted someone who would keep them safe.

What they got instead was grievous, insidious Darth Dubya, enemy

of the environment. The people discovered that the war against

terrorism that they thought they were supporting had turned into a

totally different kind of war.

But the people were lured into complacency because they didn’t

understand what was happening. They didn’t understand that the

greenhouse gases, created by burning fossil fuels, had caused the

planet to heat at an unprecedented rate. They didn’t understand that

their own health depended on keeping the natural environment healthy.

The Sith Lords waved their hands, said “The planet isn’t heating,”

and the people believed it.

When the evidence became so strong that no one could deny the

planet was getting hotter, the leaders said, “This is simply natural

fluctuation.”

The leaders forbade their own government scientists from telling

the people the truth. And thus once again the people were misled. The

Sith Lords told them there was no problem and they chose to believe

because believing was less scary than the truth.

The people didn’t see the connection between a hotter planet and

reduced crop yields. They didn’t see the connection between a hotter

planet and increased smog, and attendant increases in respiratory and

cardiac problems. They didn’t see the connection between a hotter

planet and more severe storms that caused massive property damage and

increased deaths.

Instead, the people were tricked by clever words, outright lies

and sincere-sounding denials from the Sith Lords. The people chose

the illusion of safety rather than a frightening reality.

Bills rolling back the Clean Air Act and allowing industries to

put more pollutants into the air were called the Clear Skies

Initiative. The Initiative sounded good. The people cheered.

Coal-fired power plants poured more mercury into the air. The mercury

washed into the oceans. The fish the people ate became even more

tainted.

Bills removing protections for the national forests were called

the Healthy Forest Initiative. The initiative sounded good. The

people cheered. Loggers chain-sawed down ancient redwoods to sell to

foreign interests. Then they cut down virgin forests so they wouldn’t

burn.

Bills allowing road construction through the Republic’s wilderness

areas passed. Pristine forests were forever changed. Habitats were

divided and disrupted, but the mining Siths and logging Siths were

pleased. The people cheered.

Bills restricting civil liberties were called the Patriot Act. The

act sounded good. And once again, the people cheered.

No effort was made to conserve energy or develop alternative

energy sources. Big oil Siths controlled the Republic. Their droids

rolled over untouched tundra, despoiling the area forever in exchange

for a mere six-month supply of oil. Not all of the people cheered

this time.

In isolated pockets scattered throughout the Republic, small bands

of brave Jedi battled on, virtually unnoticed. They fought to save

the environment and protect the few remaining wild areas. To save

what wildlife they could, they tried to restore and enhance degraded

habitats. They tried to raise awareness of the reality and risks of

global warming.

But they were beaten back.

We can picture the next episode of our galactic saga. Under the

influence of old myths that were supported by the Siths, masses of

people continued to produce as many children as possible and consume

as many resources as possible.

While this proved convenient and profitable for the Sith Lords, it

was disastrous because the increased population over-burdened the

environment, used up the resources and drastically changed the

climate.

There are limiting factors for every population. We’re not sure

what will happen on our fictitious planet. The people might run out

of food. They might run out of water. Wars might break out over

dwindling resources. The people might alter the climate so

drastically that another Ice Age results. Or, under over-crowded

conditions and rapid global travel, new microbes may set off global

pandemics, killing a large percentage of the people.

One way or another, the population will crash unless the Jedis can

educate the people, turn them from the Dark Side and save the planet.

May the force be with you.

* VIC LEIPZIG and LOU MURRAY are Huntington Beach residents and

environmentalists. They can be reached at [email protected].