I got an email yesterday from the We Can Solve It campaign, the multi-million dollar ad and activism campaign founded by the Alliance for Climate Change (i.e., Al Gore’s baby). The email contained a link to the We campaign’s newest ad, which they are trying to get in front of 50,000 eyes by the end of the weekend.

The piece is nicely produced and has a clear message: Americans demand a solution to the energy crisis. We want all renewable energy with 10 years. And of course I share this desire.

But I have a serious problem with the tone of the ad. “Free us from our addiction to oil,” it implores. “Save our economy. Save us from this climate crisis.” I understand that political solutions are critical to any real solution—heck, we’ve been pushing the political process all month here.

But this ad seems to put the entire onus on government to save us from ourselves. Where is the ad imploring Americans to make their homes more energy-efficient, drive fewer miles, and eat less meat? Where is the ad questioning whether consumerism—the demand link in the chain of behavior that causes greenhouse gas emissions—is really the highest expression of our humanity?

Policy shifts are necessary, but only one part of the sea change we are going through. We can’t downplay our role in creating this problem or in fixing it. Everyone at every level has a contribution to make.

By all means, let’s push our elected representatives to invest in clean technologies and build up the renewable energy infrastructure. But let’s not forget to push ourselves, too.