By TIM "BLACK COWBOY" THOMAS

One thing that you can pretty much be sure of when it comes to capitalists, their number one motivation is money. I think that one reason business people are so much better organized and effective than social justice or environmental activists in achieving their political objectives is that business people can always rally around the almighty dollar.

Recently "Big Oil" launched a marketing campaign to fight their negative public image as greedy capitalists who are choking the lifeblood out of the American family's pocket book. The American Petroleum Institute (API), "Big Oil's" lobbying arm, has sponsored a series of widely distributed television commercials.

In the one that I found most compelling, an API spokesperson points out the fact that if a viewer is a participant in some type of pension or mutual fund, chances are that they themselves are actual owners of the same oil companies that they curse every time they pull up to the gas pump. I think that the message that API is trying to get across is that it's not just oil executive fat cats that own these companies; it is also the American schoolteacher, nurse and union member.

So when we (the oil companies) make a profit, then you (the small time stock owner) also make a profit. So get off of our backs.

To this I reply with two questions. One, do the additional profits and stock value that you may have gained since say 2001, when gas was under a dollar a gallon, make up for the increased price that you are paying at the pump? Maybe yes, maybe no If your answer is yes, that you made more money with the stocks, then you may not care so much about the increased cost of gas. If your answer is no, you are not alone.

Second, if you are one of the millions of Americans so upset about rising gas prices, why don't you do something about it? There's a pretty good chance that you own a chunk of the oil companies. According to that API spokesperson, pension funds, IRA's and mutual funds own over 70 percent of the stock of U.S. oil and natural gas companies. In addition to individuals, large blocks of shares are owned by banks, insurance companies, local and state governments; schools and philanthropic foundations. Each of these organizations is governed by a board that is presumably responsible to its constituents. Why not urge, if not pressure, these boards to begin to adopt more environmentally just and sustainable policies?

Here is a local example of how everyday citizens can move "Big Oil" to a more sustainable business model. TIAA-CREF is the retirement plan operator for the staffs of research, academic and cultural institutions across the nation. Included among these is CU. According to its website, TIAA-CREF's pension portfolio is valued at $400 billion with over 3 million participants. On July 15th, the board of directors of TIAA-CREF will hold its annual meeting in Denver. According to its 2007 annual report, its "CREF Stock Account" alone held over $9.1billion dollars of "Petroleum and Coal Products" stock.

As TIAA-CREF participants, why don't CU staff and students (student workers at CU are often TIAA-CREF members too) propose that the fund put pressure on the oil companies? Tell them to transition away from fossil fuels and move aggressively into greener technologies such as biofuels and electric drive vehicle systems.

While we as TIAA-CREF members are fortunate enough to have an option of choosing the "Social Choice" portfolio in our mix of investments, why not exert influence on the TIAA-CREF board to compel other companies that the funds own to be more sustainable?

You can e-mail TIAA-CREFG board members at trustees@tiaa-cref.org. Tell them what types of sustainable policy decisions you want from the companies that they invest your money in. As shareholders, all that is necessary is to make a proposal and push for a vote to the boards of directors of "Big Oil".

So when you are looking for some big, bad boogey man to blame for the price of gas and lack of alternative fuel sources, you should probably look at your own actions or inactions first. When you are wondering who to blame for lack of action by "Big Oil" to address the rising price of gas and a lack of choice, look in the mirror. Much of the blame may lie with you.

"Race and Place" runs on the second and fourth Thursday of each month in the Colorado Daily. The opinions expressed in the column are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Colorado Daily management or staff.