“German engineering. Swiss innovation. American nothing.”

Such read a 2006 billboard advertisement for a new car, whose apparent purpose was to undermine American ingenuity. The ad, which appeared in South Africa, has since been removed, but its taunting message remains: the world no longer needs America.

What is the appropriate response to such a provocation? I think Thomas L. Friedman, a New York Times columnist, said it best during his recent speech in Grand Rapids.

“That billboard pisses me off,” he said.

Friedman, a three-time Pulitzer Prize winner, spoke mostly about energy during his address to the World Affairs Council of Western Michigan. But his message went well beyond his plea for a “Green Revolution.”
It was about American pride.

According to Friedman, and also Dr. Benjamin Carson, a world-renowned neurosurgeon who spoke on campus recently, America is quickly falling behind other countries in critical areas.

On the energy/climate change front, Friedman points out that the Chinese are enforcing stricter efficiency standards and furthering investment in alternative energy. Meanwhile, according to Carson, America’s youth is getting lapped by other countries in math and science, subjects that drive innovation.

As Friedman put it, “We need to get back to work on our country and our planet.”

For Friedman, this involves an E.T. — energy technology — revolution in America. To lead this revolution, and lessen our dependence on oil, he calls for a $1 per gallon gas tax, among other measures.

This would end the easy, minor steps being taken to reduce climate change, what he calls the “Green Party.” It would begin the “Green Revolution,” a complete shift in the energy market that will propel America’s future.

Friedman’s main cause, and the topic of his last book, “Hot, Flat and Crowded,” is energy innovation.

But speaking more broadly, what will it take to awaken Americans?

As a college student, I love the optimism of a university campus. It is a symbol of America’s potential and may be the determining factor of its future.

But here, too, there is somewhat of a “party.” It’s easy to get captivated with minor accomplishments (I got a B on my ecology midterm!) while missing the big picture (America is losing the fight against global warming).
It will take more than a party to preserve this country’s future.

But then again, I’m not ready for the “American nothing” age, either.

E-mail the author: Nicolas Persons