Talk is cheap – it’s time for action. Excuses, apathy, pessimism and laziness won’t achieve anything. What is required is communication, energy, determination, and ideas. That is why I have come up with a gas girlcott that will succeed. Unfortunately, this will not work if people don’t spread the word and participate. Instead of wasting time on why it won’t work, dedicate yourself to making it work!

Starting right now, don’t buy any gas from ExxonMobil, Chevron-Texaco or Conoco-Phillips. If this will leave you without any options, do the google thing – mentioned at the end of this article. Second, write Congress, now, – WWW.CONGRESS.ORG – demanding legislation for better fuel efficiency. A boost of one mile per gallon results in a savings of half a million barrels of oil a day. Forget nucular, oil, gas and coal – now is the time for alternative energy, with wind, solar and geothermal leading the way. The earth will be happier and we can live with that.

In your letter or email, mention the above and the need for more investment in alternative energy possibilities, including the Apollo Project, a proposal for investing $300 billion over ten years to create new energy based on efficiency and innovation, involving energy saving buildings and appliances, environmentally friendly factories, hybrid vehicles and mass transit. The program would create 3,000,000 manufacturing jobs – the cost would be only a fraction of what the country spends each year on imported oil.

The next huge step begins on June 5th. For the entire week of June 5, 2006, boycott gas stations, that is, don’t buy any gas at all. That’s Monday through Friday. This means you will have to do some thinking, conserving and walking. You can take a day off or go to work, even if you’re out of gas, using mass transit or pooling – not bad ideas. If you cut your grass during the week, make sure you have enough gas ahead of time.

If you think you can’t afford to be away from work for a week – you don’t need to. Go back and reread the plan I outlined above. If you are still not convinced, consider this. In 1998, I was working on a Y2K project at Monroe County in Rochester when I was diagnosed with colon cancer. At the time, I didn’t think I could be away for a week but I wound up recovering for over four months. I survived – thanks to the grace of God and a fine surgeon, Dr. Naim Dawli – and when I returned, my desk was still there. When the year 1999 ended, there were no Y2K problems at the county.

On Mothers’ Day, I saw a Mobil station with the lowest prices in the area. This only means that the action taken so far is working – they are hurting. Already we have success as mass transit usage is up in Buffalo. You can find out more about all this by doing a google on “gas girlcott.” Don’t forget the quote marks. Alternatively, go to my web site, www.bobcooks.com and click on “gas girlcott.” Spread the word. If you don’t believe one person can make a difference, you haven’t heard of Paul Rusesabagina, Rosa Parks or Rudy Acuna. However, I can’t do it alone!

"Girlcott" is both clever and somwhat charming, but the word "boycott" hasn't anything to do with gender. It's derived from a proper name.

"The word boycott entered the English language during the Irish "Land War" and is derived from the name of Captain Charles Boycott, the estate agent of an absentee landlord, the Earl Erne, in County Mayo, Ireland who was subject to social ostracism organized by the Irish Land League in 1880. In September that year protesting tenants demanded from Boycott a substantial reduction in their rents. He not only refused but also ejected them from the land. The Irish Land League proposed that, rather than resorting to violence, everyone in the locality should refuse to deal with him. Despite the short-term economic hardship to those undertaking this action, Boycott soon found himself isolated — his workers stopped work in the fields, stables as well as the house. Local businessmen stopped trading with him and the local postman refused to deliver post."

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boycott