Recently, every day brings new stories about Ukraine. And, almost every day for the past week, I’ve watched gas prices go up so that they’re now over $4 a gallon.

These events are not separate. Rather, the gas prices are increasing in direct relation to the uncertainty about the geopolitical situation.

This reality highlights the fact that we must move to renewable energy.

Imagine what a difference it would make if we didn’t have to worry about our needs for gas or oil. Instead of carefully avoiding those sanctions, we could respond much more forcefully to Russia. We also wouldn’t have to worry about rising gas prices because we could use electric vehicles and charge them with renewable energy.

I’m personally experiencing some of this benefit with a fuel-efficient hybrid car. While I still need to buy gas, it’s much less frequent, and that’s a great relief right now.

But I also know I’m in the minority. As a country, we can do so much more to make the use of renewable energy the norm. Doing so is good for the planet, and it’s also key to making sure we’re never again in a position where our reliance on fossil fuels prevents us from taking the necessary steps to help stop a devastating war.

Erica Bartlett
Portland