One of our presidential candidates, whose name I shall not mention because it triggers google ads featuring him, asserts that the transcendent issue of our time is radical Islamic extremism. Somewhere in a cave connected to a dialysis machine is a tall thin Arab wringing his hands and avowing that the transcendent issue of our time is radical Christian fundamentalist extremism. Both would do well to really do some research, or better yet just be honest, and they would find that the transcendent issue of our time is energy.

Energy, power, oil, treasure, booty and plunder. Energy is the driving force behind every foreign policy in every country on every continent. Energy is the means and motivation by which wars are waged and battles fought. Energy is the mission, the target, the strategy and ultimately energy is the final casualty.

We must still fight for energy but we need to fight for energy independence. We need to rise up and fight for renewable energy. We need to stand down with arms and stand up with common sense. We have to ignore the failed foreign and energy policies of our present administration and take charge locally, at a community or neighborhood or district level by decentralizing energy generation now.

This is the transcendent challenge of our time.