Is it harder to be a green American these days? There certainly is a laundry list of reasons one can use to justify giving up on the “green lifestyle.” But it’s more important than ever to rededicate ourselves to living a greener, cleaner lifestyle for the good of the planet and for the good of our nation. Going green in the energy world is also about energy independence for the U.S.

The economy continues to be in a rut for most people. There’s a lot of uncertainty about future growth prospects. Many Americans are saving every penny they can to keep up with their family budget. Many are out of work, or working reduced hours, or getting lower salaries. It would be very easy for a person to jettison things that make up a green lifestyle. Buying non organic food is generally cheaper than organic food. Investments in energy efficiency, while they pay off in the long term, do require an up front investment. Buying green power is not always the cheapest option. A Prius does cost more than a Corolla.

In the political sphere, green energy seems to be at the very bottom of the priority list. The oil and gas companies seem to be making huge profits as usual, while wind projects remain on hold due to unfavorable conditions in the energy market.

Yet, we know that the planet is not waiting. We know that every day we delay is a day with more carbon in the atmosphere – carbon that takes decades to disperse. And we know that the United States economy is subject to the whims of foreign potentates that decide how much a barrel of oil should cost, whether it’s drilled here or in the Arabian Peninsula. Energy independence is one thing that all parts of the political spectrum should support. When it comes to our budget deficit, we mostly agree that we as a nation don’t want to be beholden to foreigners who hold U.S. debt. We also don’t want to mortgage our children’s future by bequeathing monumental debt to them as their inheritance. Likewise, we as a nation should not be beholden to foreigners when it comes to setting the prices we pay for energy. And we do not want to bequeath to our children a world that is not as lush, beautiful, and life sustaining as the one we inherited from our parents.

Green is here to stay. It’s  too important for our nation and our nation’s future to let it be otherwise. Being a green American means sticking with the cause through good times and bad. No Sunshine Patriots here – but people who work day in and day out to make our country greener, cleaner and more sustainable.