Everyone wants to do more to reduce our carbon footprints and save the planet. We re-cycle, buy carbon set-offs, plant trees in rain forests, give money to green causes and try as we might, we seem to not make as much progress as is needed. Al Gore raised our awareness level, but with the economy in downturn and oil headed to $150 a barrel (perhaps even this week), the headlines are anything but green (except, the colour of oil company money profits).

US and UK politicians are involved in saving their own election skin this year that Congress and Parliament have ground to a halt and any initiative proposed by the lamest of lame duck Presidents since Gerald Ford and will fall on deaf ears. Even members of his own party joined with Democrats this week to pass a bill with a veto-proof margin.

Our dependence on oil is as it was and the producers know we are like junkies awaiting our next fix. Every source says there is more than enough crude to go around for quite some time yet speculators drive the price up daily and sew seeds of fear. Time Magazine named Saudi Oil Minister Ali al-Naimi one of its 100 most influential people in a recent issue. He faces an interesting dilemma. Oil has doubled in price per barrel over a year’s time. There was a period within the last decade when it dropped to $10 a barrel. If Saudi Arabia suddenly increases production, the market will crash and speculators make even more money.

When Al Gore gave his update talk on TED in early April (on the progress or lack thereof on global warming), he pointed specifically to the news media whose hundreds of news stories had less than ¼ of 1 percent of their headlines dedicated to global warming and green issues. Sadly, this publication must hold its hand up and say we did our fair share as this is often the last category thought of, a sort of ‘round tuit’ category. We write about green issues when we get around to it. That will change.

Truth be told, this e-magazine relies on news feeds to point us in the direction of news. When I looked back at business and news headlines of the last 10-days, there has not been a big ‘green’ news story since Shell abandoned a key UK wind project to invest instead in Canadian coal shale.

Sure, several auto makers announced hybrid cars coming in time for the 2011 or ’12 model years but true green innovation stories have been lacking in the mainstream media. Some would argue the typhoon in Burma and earthquake in China show the earth’s full power but these have both become highly politicised stories with China opening its doors and pocketbooks to help their own.

The biggest green news was how the race by farmers to produce biofuels NOW brings risks to the global food supply as these plants produce greater profits than conventional ones so there is now a need to develop energy from weeds and other non-useful plants.

So many want to do something and become discouraged by headlines that seem to trump everything else that is happening.

We just can’t seem to win for losing in this race.