A civil society is a balancing act. On one side are the individual's needs for freedom of expression and freedom of action. On the other side are society's needs for providing everyone with a similar set of opportunities. The idea that individuals are FREE to act without restraint is a myth. No such situation has ever existed nor is ever likely to exist. There are no individual freedoms that are not actually defined or allowed by the group. Likewise, there are no group restraints that are not defined or enforced by individuals upon each other. We are each, both individuals AND members of a larger society. To enjoy freedom of action within the group, we must behave within the group definition of what is acceptable. For this to work well, the group definition of what is acceptable must be sufficiently flexible so that total conformity is not required or desired.

Currently, civil society is very loosely bound together. There are very few "group agreements" that everyone voluntarily abides by. Most people believe in the idea of "law and order" but willfully ignore these well defined standards of behavior when they think no one else is looking. While society "expects" all of the individuals to adhere to the laws currently in-force, it has never actually ASKED each individual for 100% voluntary compliance. Until each individual is actually invested with the responsibility of providing society with honesty, civility, and integrity in their personal actions, society will never be able to provide each individual with security, peace and justice as a group environment.

The people of this world are at a cross-roads. Free Energy technology offers an opportunity for everyone to have an abundance of food, fresh water, and the necessities of life. This will be a dream come true for the vast majority of the population. Just to have the opportunity to lift themselves up out of poverty, enjoy some leisure time every day, and watch the children grow up with health and safety is all they have ever wanted. But to make this come true, we all must agree to cooperate, and not to fight each other during the implementation of this transition. Unfortunately, there is a small minority of individuals on this planet who profit from keeping most people at an unreasonable disadvantage. So, there are human impediments to the implementation of the "technology of abundance."

Free Energy technology will not happen for our mutual benefit if we refuse to take personal responsibility for bringing social order into our own lives. Everyone must participate and agree. All National Governments must be constrained to live peacefully within their own borders and have benign relations with all other Nation-states. All individual, commercial, and governmental activities that prevent this from being achieved represent the real danger to society.

As social order becomes more and more unstable, the imposition of order from outside of ourselves must become more forceful. The unfortunate end result of this trend is the imposition of a total police state, whether we like it or not. When taken to its extreme, externally imposed social order is invariably experienced as tyranny by the majority of the population. And yet, the majority of the population is unwilling to impose order upon themselves, which is the only thing that would make that tyranny obsolete.

Inexpensive, abundant energy is the only thing that gives society the ability to provide for all of the needs of all of the individuals within it. But even more importantly, free energy allows individuals to provide for their own needs, so society-at-large doesn't have to. Free energy technology empowers the individual to act with strength for his or her own benefit. But this also endangers society as a whole, since these individuals may choose to act in ways that benefit themselves at society's expense. Herein lies the dilemma. Since all individuals have never even been asked to cooperate with each other, such voluntary cooperation is unlikely to emerge spontaneously. This means that the emergence of free energy technology requires the emergence of a new social contract of peaceful co-existence as well.

Free energy does NOT solve society's social problems. Most people still prefer associating and doing business with other people from their own cultural or racial group. This is an ancient preference that dates from prehistoric times. No invention will change this. Only complete inter-breeding and the blending of all races will eliminate this problem, and that will only occur thousands of years in the future. Also, many human groups have longstanding grievances with their neighbors that must be resolved before universal peace can be established on this planet. This process will take generations and an unprecedented will to cooperate and compromise before these issues can be settled to everyone's satisfaction.

So, what can we do today? What is a socially responsible course of action that strengthens social cooperation and addresses real human needs? We each must ask this question of ourselves. While dozens of changes are needed, the implementation of a "Conserve and use Natural Energy First" philosophy in our personal lives can make a real contribution to a civil society.

So, when you buy a new light bulb, don't buy the cheapest one, buy the one that uses the least energy. The next time you paint your house, don't just pick a color you like, pick a paint that reflects heat and light better to lower your energy costs. When you replace your roof, add insulation, heat reflective coatings and add skylights to interior rooms and hallways. When you buy a new car, pick one that gets 50% better gas mileage than the one it replaces. Every choice, every decision that affects your energy use pattern can reflect your socially responsible attitude.

By making these choices, we can "walk our talk" and know we are contributing to a better future. By buying these products, we can create demands in the economy that make the businesses that produce these products more successful. This trend increases innovation that makes even better products available next year. But don't wait. Buy the best products that are available right now. In a few, short years, millions of people will be changing the world with simple, everyday decisions. Be a trend setter, start now.

Today, in the United States of America, CONSUMER SPENDING is the largest force in the economy. Let's get organized and start CONSUMING the products that save energy, use less energy, and lower our energy costs today. If we lead, business and government WILL FOLLOW!

Tell your congressional representatives that you want tax incentives for small businesses that bring energy saving products to market, and that you want tax credits for buying these products. Vote for people who will implement these policy changes. Vote against people who won't.

In the last analysis, social responsibility only manifests when individuals act responsibly. Each one of us must commit our own actions to be expressed in a way that builds a better future, regardless of what anyone else may do. We cannot be responsible for other people's actions, we can only be responsible to others with our own actions.