Enough of "the sky is falling" cries about hurricanes, oil, FEMA, national security, Exxon, etc. It's time we do without the drama and start working the problems. Fossil fuels, the nasty pollution generators, are, for all intents and purposes, done, and have been for a while. The sooner we acknowledge it and make the oil and auto interests influencing the government acknowledge it, the better off we and our poor old abused planet will be.

Historically, Americans are great with a challenge; it is part of our heritage and our identity. We rise to the call and triumph over adversity.

It is that legacy, not our arsenal of weapons or our gross national product, that makes us proud of our country and our countrymen. We are now faced with major energy challenges and we can no longer afford to procrastinate. We've got a lot of work to do, folks, and it's time we hunker down and get to it. We've been big time oil junkies for far too long and it's time we wean ourselves off the pipe. From obesity to air and water pollution, to road rage and auto accidents, to Middle East conflict, this stuff is killing us.

Let's take a quick overview of the benefits of non-motorized and public transportation:

• The exercise it provides is a "magic pill" of health; toning your body, relieving stress, reducing obesity and a host of chronic illnesses.

• The transportation and recreational opportunities it provides create stronger communities and economically healthier towns and villages.

• In a natural (i.e. Hurricane Katrina) or man-made (i.e. The World Trade Center bombings) disaster, an automobile is about as effective as a turtle on its back. Non-motorized roadways are fundamental to mass evacuations.

• The oil companies and OPEC lose a lot of their punch if we reduce our consumption. Riding a bike, walking and taking the bus is self-reliant, even patriotic.

• Slowing down allows you time to take the measure of life. It's good for the soul.

I am not saying that we get rid of cars; they are so ingrained in our society that going cold turkey is probably impossible. I'm saying we need to get a lot smarter, but quick.

Otsego County could set the standard for the state. Freedom and choice are the hallmarks of being American. In that spirit, I choose the following:

• That tax dollars be spent on transportation systems serving anything but the automobile. Connect the County with trolley and rail lines, and walking, cycling and equestrian paths.

• The means to travel from town to town without defiling the air I breathe.

• To walk or ride a bike, without the insanity of sharing the road with two-ton vehicles.

• That we lose the "but I have to have a car!" mentality. It's not a "necessity" if we create the right environment. Clean air, clean water, healthy bodies, and world peace are true necessities.

• That we allow the free market economy to create all the alternatives to travel and warmth it can muster. For the next decade every science fair in the country, from kindergartens to MIT, should focus on energy alternatives.

Conservation should become second nature. We've been using fuel and polluting like a drunken sailor spends money since the last energy crisis, thirty years ago. It's time we sober up and act like responsible adults.

Berstler is the founder of the Walking Example Group (WE-GO) an organization encouraging walking and walkable communities.

and walkable communities. Visit their website at www.we-go.org.