How do you determine whether someone has a “preference” regarding a matter, or a “conviction?” For those of us who do actually hold convictions about matters of life, it’s basically a do-or-die decision. Nothing will deter you from your belief, and your belief results in corresponding actions – always.

Our newly elected President has spoken frequently on “going green,” being ecologically prudent and has asked all of us to conserve energy at every turn. In his recent Earth Day speech to Iowans, he promoted his environmental plans to adopt policies that would spur energy efficiency and wider use of non-fossil energy such as wind, solar and biofuels. Obama has even gone so far during his campaign to advocate raising energy taxes so high that it would force the producers and consumers to turn to alternative energy sources.    Sounds like he really believes in this eco stuff!

But wait, wouldn’t someone who REALLY believed in conserving energy, driving “smart cars,” windmills, etc. make choices to conserve energy themselves? Yet President Obama chose to CONSUME 9,000 GALLONS OF FUEL for Air Force One to transport him to Iowa to give his speech, when he could have easily presented a stirring lecture to the greenies from the Oval Office (or better yet, the Rose Garden)! To put this fuel consumption extravagance into perspective: I commute 60 miles to work round trip each day, averaging 20 miles per gallon. President Obama just consumed 11.5 YEARS OF FUEL SUPPLY for my car so he could have a photo op with the farmers in Iowa.

I don’think he really means it when he tells us to conserve energy, which is good news to me. Who wants to have the landscape of America spoiled with a gazillion windmills spinning around?