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Bush and McCain: Drilling us into a Deeper Hole
It's hard to imagine that John McCain was too happy today when President Bush echoed his call for drilling up and down our nation's coastlines. He was having a hard enough time trying pass the laugh test when claiming that his plan would have any effect on gas prices anytime soon. Now this over-hyped plan has the stamp of approval from the one person you want to avoid -- a president who is not only an oil man but has also been wrong on just about every issue over the course of eight years.
Even without the Bush kiss of death, however, most people could see through this nonsensical idea. To hear John McCain or George Bush talk about it, you'd think that gasoline was going to be pipelined straight out of the ground and directly into your gas tank.
But people understand that, in an area devoid of the appropriate infrastructure, it takes a long, long time to build the derricks that would line our shores, along with the pipelines to reach land and the refineries to process the oil. And people also understand that the type of production McCain and Bush are talking about is a drop in the bucket -- or a drop in the barrel -- compared to what this nation consumes.
They may sell it as immediate relief at the pump, but what they're talking about is really a decade or more down the road and would amount to maybe a few pennies in savings, according to the Energy Information Administration. Who would think that's worth the wait? Or the economic risk?
What John McCain and George Bush are not saying is how their friends at the oil companies are sitting on -- get this -- 68 million acres of unused land leased to them by the American taxpayer. 68 million acres.
As we are moving to develop renewable energy, create alternative fuels and boost energy efficiency, that land represents domestic oil and gas production waiting to be had -- only the oil companies are not doing anything about it.
I'm an original co-sponsor of Senator Chris Dodd's legislation to penalize the oil companies that leave this type of land unused. Big Oil is looking for yet another government handout by opening up our coastline and the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge for drilling -- it's time that our government stopped bending over backward for oil companies and instead started pushing them to do what they can with the generous resources they have been given.
In the long run, this Bush-McCain drill, drill, drill mentality only ends up drilling us into a deeper hole. The continued dependence on oil is disastrous for our economy and toxic for our planet. The economic dangers now and in the future are obvious by just looking at what our reliance on oil is doing to our nation today.
Families are pinching every penny so they can drive their kids to school or get themselves to work. With high food prices, some have to choose between putting a gallon of gas in their cars and putting a gallon of milk in their refrigerators. And many families aren't even thinking about flying anymore since gas prices have hit airlines so hard that fares are sky high and checking luggage is $15 a bag.
While we look at the critical short-term economic issues related to gas and food prices that matter a great deal to American families, we have to also make sure our planet is healthy for our kids and grandkids.
This dependence on fossil fuels does nothing to reduce the carbon emissions that have created our planetary crisis. The longer we put off transitioning from fossil fuels to clean energy, the more severe our weather will get, the higher the oceans will rise and the more damaged the Earth will become.
For those of us living in coastal states, drilling in the Outer Continental Shelf presents another serious threat. With oil derricks and pipelines near our beaches comes the prospect of spills like the ones that have devastated the California coast in the past, which is why I introduced the COAST Act to permanently ban drilling on our coastlines.
Even if a state government somewhere like my home state of New Jersey would maintain its ban on offshore drilling, the next state over could lift its moratorium, and our coast would be threatened just the same. The millions of people who go to the Jersey Shore this summer and the thousands of business-owners who thrive on the tourism can tell you better than I can how an oil spill would be devastating in many ways.
There are so many reasons why the Bush-McCain drilling plan is absurd. There are hometown reasons, like the threat to our beaches. There are national reasons, like the failure to lower gas prices. And there are global reasons, like the future of our planet.
In the end, this is a plan that brings relief to oil companies, not American families. John McCain and George Bush just don't seem to get that the future is in a green economy, renewable energy, alternative fuels and energy efficiency, not in oil. But then again, I guess we shouldn't expect anything more from a president who is an oil man and the candidate he supports, who chose to give his big energy and environment speech in Houston, oil capital of the nation.
Follow Sen. Robert Menendez on Twitter: www.twitter.com/SenatorMenendez
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Offshore drilling is a sideshow distracting from w's failed energy 'policy.' No-bid oil company contracts in Iraq are more relevant to the US.
This is rovian blitzkrieg. Bedfellow to the unregulated energy companies he's allowed outrageous speculation to enrich his cronies and steal from the average American.
Past w atrocities are continually overshadowed by his present outrageousness. w knows his best defense is an increasingly outlandish offense. With polls historically low he knows not to sit around and defend himself about violating international and constitutional law, his lousy economic and foreign policy, and his status as worst president in history. .
While this doesn't seem to be getting much national press, common folks have been rigging their cars with homemake hydrogen generators, saying they save between 20% to 50% . If my father was still alive, I could see him messing around with a junk car to do the same.
http://www.hydrogencarsnow.com/hydrogen-generators-cars.htm
http://www.wndu.com/localnews/headlines/20613914.html
It doesn't work. All this hydrogen stuff is just a distraction from the real answer: Solar and wind forever.
Energy from water seems to be one of the most active internet scams going. It is a scam that has been pushed along by occasional and unfortunate reports from gullible news organizations.
The straightforward scheme of using hydrolysis to generate hydrogen and then using hydrogen to power the car is just one more perpetual motion machine scam. It violates scientific laws and it is wildly unlikely to be anything other than a scam.
The idea that burning a small amount of hydrogen with gasoline might reduce emissions and/or improve fuel economy is an old one and up to now it just hast panned out on a practical level. If any of the energy from water scammers had actually succeeded in developing a successful product along these lines the first thing they would do would be to get independent labs to run EPA mileage protocols on cars with their gadgets installed to validate the effectiveness of them. They don't do that because they don't have gadgets that actually work, they just have gadgets that make them money when people buy them or invest in the development of them.
Here's a nice article from Popular Mechanics that test several "fuel saving gadgets".
http://www.popularmechanics.com/automotive/new_cars/1802932.html
Bottom line: no joy here.
EPA's list of gadgets they've test:
http://www.ftc.gov/bcp/edu/pubs/consumer/autos/aut10.shtm
Bottom line: almost nothing works and what does work probably isn't worth the effort
I'm looking to get off my need for what they call fossil fuels, I don't care how much safer they say the technology has evolved, I don't believe it.
However, how can I do that when they keep wanting to drill - drill - drill. That is not the answer I'm looking for. I want to hear "full speed ahead" on perfecting safe, and natural as can be, Alternative Fuel and Power.
- - NO more drilling
- - NO more Nuclear Power Plants
Thanks
We can do it: 1T$ over the next 10 years to eliminate coal nukes and imported oil for Wind and Solar.
Forever.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/users/profile/research
There was a time when the idea that the natural resources of a nation belonged to it's citizenry in common interest was currency. The Imperialist Countries' Britain, France, Germany, et al paid that notion little mind, but in the U.S. it was taken seriously , at least after FDR until Lyndon Johnson trashed the Federal Power Commission and it's chair Leland Olds for cash money and lots of it. It seems that Mr. Olds had the temerity to suggest that there was an upper limit to what could be charged for natural gas.
Now, since R. Regan institutionalised selfishness and regulation of commerce has been demoted to the work of satan (liberals) it seems that social and economic darwinism is in full swing.
The high current price of gasoline has little to do with supply and demand, but with high rollers taking full advantage of Sen. Phil Gramm's Enron Loophole to create a speculative bubble in futures which will bust one of these days. .
If the travesty that was passed in the house of reps today is any indication of what to expect from either party, there is no relief in sight. I thought that an ex post facto law worked in both directions.
I only hope that my representative didn't have his hand up for that one because if he did he can make his own damn phone calls.
As of today, the only major oil producer that can significantly ramp up production is Saudi Arabia.
So, we end up in a situation where when prices go up, we have no choice but to go bow and scrape for the Saudi princes and beg them to do so.
Why not develop ANWR, develop these offshore oil fields, and then let them sit there? We don't need to pump one drop. But then WE will have control of the spigot, where WE can ramp up production by an extra million or two barrels of oil as we see fit. If McCain or Obama are concerned about speculators driving the price of oil through the roof, open the spigot and flood the market with extra oil. They could even temporarily release oil from the SPR. It might only be for a month, but that would be enough to pop any speculative oil bubble.
No more kissing and holding hands with the Saudis will be necessary, even though there's no reason to unnecessarily harm our cozy relationship.
Iran can't ramp up production. Venezuela can't ramp up production. This angry little dictators would be nullified, and we would have much greater control of our own destiny.
uhhmmm....but shouldn't our alaskan reserves and our off shore deposits be considered as a national security asset - and be held as strategic reserves until the last possible moment - or used extremely sparingly while developing alternative/green resources???
Read the article "The 'Idle' Oil Field Fallacy" - By RED CAVANEY, in the 20 June edition of the Wall Street Journal.
This explains in great detail why Menendez is totally incorrect in what he says. One note from the article indicates that land may be leased, and after exploration there is no oil or gas present. This land is still on the books as leased until the lease expires. Therefore there is the need to look at additional land where there are indications that oil and gas may exist. The lessees are not sitting on anything, the lease will expire and revert back to the government. The lessee is moving on to other areas for exploration.
What is not mentioned in the article is that McCain is against drilling in ANWR (so is Obama):
Check out this page to see what they have to say about it:
http://www.2008electionprocon.org/energynationalparkoil.htm
Sen. Menendez...do tell why you're giving McCain "hard liner" bonafides on immigration reform knowing full well he wants nothing to do with it, as it will cut off the cheap labor his wealthy base rely upon? He loves the status quo. Leave 'em in limbo is McLame's mantra.
Get 'em legal, or get 'em out. That's what Latinos want. Why are you suggesting otherwise?
How you became the voice for Latinos is really irking me. I wonder if your NJ constituents are aware of your positions and how they contribute to the problems of illegal immigration influx to your communities and the depression of wages by encouraging McLame's "limbo" policy, selective enforcement and calling it "hardliner?"
We need immigration reform that penalizes employers severely for hiring illegal immigrants, secure borders, and a national work ID with guest-worker visas granting union eligibility for any low-skilled workers currently employed to undercut American workers, state-level granting of police powers to detain & deport wouldn't hurt either. The #1 supporter of LEGAL immigration was Cesar Chavez. Why not revisit his policies a little so you are more aware of what the U.S. really needs?
Can you get on that? Or is that too much to ask for? You do "represent" Latinos after all.
I thought this was about drilling for oil. Stay on point.
I will paraphase a statement I read by a president[ Martin Van Buren]recently about trains. Something to the effect that if man was meant to travel at breakneck speeds of 15- 20 miles per hour god would have given him wings. Is there any thinking person that doesn't think that somebody not too far down the road will find G .W. & J. W. McCs'. statement about drilling almost as funny. Put the best minds in the country[world] on this and in one generation [ two max]we will be saying "keep your oil" ,Didn't we see this coming? These folks were alive in the 70's right?
Today I learned that the Iraqi oil has been promised to the large (mostly US based) oil conglomerates to sell at whatever price or hold for speculation. Isn't that precious? It's clear that "We the People" are being gamed. But what is the purpose? Is it just greed? Or is it political? In a crude (no pun intended) analysis, the wealthy can afford to pay $20/gal but the bulk of the electorate cannot. My guess is that a savior (Republican I'll bet) will arrive who will magically make some pronouncement that will cause gasoline prices to drop; just in time sway the electorate to their candidate. BUT ... if Obama is elected anyway, we'll really be over the barrel (pun intended). Talk about the power of the "free" market! STICK TO YOUR GUNS FOLKS! Don't fall for it. Things will really get tough, but the outcome will be worth it.
There is no shortage of oil and that is why there are no long lines. They claim they cannot refine mpre because of various reasons but it comes down to hiking the price at the pump. When they wanted
to raise the price from 50 cents a gallon to 75 cents they ran it up to one dollar and when they dropped back to 75 cents we were happy to go back to the 75 cents they really wanted. Now they have a new goal. four dollars minimum to whatever the market will bear. We will eventually have to
negotiate a better deal or the strain on Americas and worldwide economy will result in WW 111. There is only so much slack in fear of terrorist attacks and international greed.
Well it seems to me that most of the ideas that we have are just half truths because it simply is a complex situation, you have two large economies that are burning up petroleum at an enormous pace. You have speculators driving up the price to where the the normal supply and demand economic equations are not working. You have countries that are not OPEC wanting bigger percentages of the production. Of course we have those who say that we must drill for more, not considering that even if you had more there's currently and for the foreseeable future (probably 10 years or more) there's no place to refine it. We would probably be playing catchup for a while and then like everything else we would probably end up in over production. The approach must be to become more efficient, go green with fuel cells, possibly even nuclear in conjunction with wind and gas and coal. At the same time require these alternatives to be US research and developed conducting an economic boost as we ween off petroleum/gas cars. These are the largest consumers of oil in the US, not the production of electricity to power our cities as some would have us believe.
I have yet to see any facts or figures from most of the posters. The US refineries are only running at 80-85% capacity, and US stocks of gasoline are at higher levels now than at last year at this time. The FACT is that we have enough oil in oil shale in the Rockies alone to meet ALL of our current use of oil needs for over one hundred years. The fact is that oil speculators are the ones who are driving up the price of oil.
The latest news from Iraq shows that US oil companies know where huge amounts of normally recoverable oil are and they are going to get it. We have not come close to hitting peak oil, except in the minds of alarmists and speculators who are making hay and a lot of money off the fears.
I live on the Gulf coast of Texas, and the only major spill we had came from the SEDCO oil rig that Gov. Clements had that screwed up and which was drilling under contract to PEMEX in Mexico.
Shale oil is expensive, polluting and inefficient. It's not even as good as Fisher Tropes oil from coal.
The refineries are already operating beyond 100% of their design capacity. Since no new refineries have been built in 30+ years, and since several refineries have been shuttered, those remaining have had to expand their refining capacity beyond their original designs.
It's kind of like a Middle School where half the kids are being taught in corrugated steel annex classrooms. Sure, it's okay as a way to 'make due' over the short term, but at some point you need to build a new school.
Today it became pretty clear that what most people
believed about the Iraqi occupation is true, and that is
oil. Big oil is coming for the no-bid contracts. And since
Iraq has never put into effect an actual law to protect
it's assets, it will be like a gold rush. As far as drilling
in the US, it will make the bonus to oil CEO's go from
2 bn to 4 in ten years. And if Bush decides Iran's oil
is the next goal, gas could easily be $8-12 a gal. if it's
even available.
i AM SO SICK OF THE STUPIDITY OF A LARGE MAJORITY OF AMERICANS THAT ACTUALLY BELIEVED BUSH WAS FIGHTING "TERRORISM". He could give a shit about terrorists. It's about the oil, and has always been about the oil!!!!!! Yhe Bushs are big stock holders in Exxon. And to think that people actually believe Osama Bin Laden is in a cave! The guy had kidney failure and died in 2002. That's why they haven't bothered to catch him. Bush has RULED us by fear for nearly 8 years and because most Americans are so lazy, they can't get off their fat asses and read the facts. They really think FAUX news is telling them the truth. The oil play is a power play. And we'd better wake up and start paying attention. You better get yourself an electric car. Then they can't control you. They are coming out with some very efficient ones that now go 200 miles per charge. FYI - the Congress is voting on the bill today- Friday 20th, to allow wiretapping and confiscation of emails - there goes our 4th Amendment. CALL AND STOP THIS BILL - IT'S HORRIBLE!! You'd better pray McCain doesn't get in. He's just a puppet.
Spoken like the true oilman Bush is, and, not a surprise coming from his donor clone McSame, America has followed the lead of big oil long enough. And,look at the hole we have fallen into.The economy will be hurt permanently by this high price.We have long needed to change our policys regarding automobiles,and union jobs. the US automakers have failed to change with the times,and the handcuffs that greedy union labor have put on the automakers has cost jobs,if not the downfall of an industry. When the trucking industry was deregulated it started into a downward spiral,losing the power to change its fate,the us automakers have to face the same fate.Spending,and pay raises have shown us just how out of touch our elected officials are, with a rating as low as it is one would think they would want to change it,but,change is not something congress is capable of. They are too entrenched,andset in their ways, so i wish the next president(Obama) all the luck in the world because he will be up against a very old stone wall.
Bush is not an oil man. He had as much success in the oil business as he has had being President. Every single oil business that the Saudis financed for him failed. To be an oil man, you have to do more than just want to be in the business.
We stopped drilling our own oil fields because OPEC agreed to price oil in dollars. In return for hedging our money, we agreed not to drill and to provide their monarchs with protection against external and internal enemies. The dollar would have already collapsed. We have been sitting on top of possibly the largest oil fields in the world in Alaska and Louisiana for decades.
All this is actually good. By refusing to drill and getting our selves into a trap where foreign oil countries have us by the throat, we have created the largest opportunity that his country has ever seen. We cannot produce our own oil and gas in time to stave off disaster. Even real oil man Picket is investing billions in wind farms in west Texas. Technology exists right now to have 300 mile electric and hydrogen powered cars. It just needs a cash influx. As the private sector sees the opportunity and the demand increases, the money faucets will open and this antiquated and filthy source of energy will be replaced. Pray for a $2 increase in the price of gas.
Then pray for the government to stay out of the way.
Good info, What Americans REALLY need to do is stop buying the big gas hogs. Our consumption is already down from last year. The only way we are going to win the "oil war" against us citizens is to go solar and electric. The sun puts out petawatts which generates enough energy in 1 HOUR to power the entire worlds energy needs for an entire year!! The consumers drive the market, so lets start getting our creative juices going and start developing our cars locally. Hell, you can drive a golf cart for pennies (maybe a few nickels). Ride your bike when you can, carpool, combine errands, just conserve and we'll save lots! But the key is to stop allowing them to enslave us and push for independence from oil period!. Vote OUT anyone that does not support clean & renewable energy. And DON'T vote McCain - he's just too old and antiquated in his thinking. He say's he's for renewables but wants to drill of the coast of Florida. NO WAY - I live here, he's not going to win Florida!!! And I'm an EX- Republican!!
Excellant posts. Spot on.
Bush IS A CHEERLEADER FOR OIL MEN. Get it?
Bush is a whore for Oil Man Cheney & Companies.
Whose BOTTOM LINE has been enriched the most since Bush-Cheney took office?
BIG OIL's.
Louis E.V. Nevaer - Nov 19, 2007:
“When OPEC imposed an oil embargo on the West in 1973.... Brazil vowed never to be at the mercy of oil producers again. It launched a national program to ... use the nation’s sugarcane industry to produce enough ethanol to meet its economic needs. At the time, Wall Street scoffed at Brazil’s conceit.
Brazilian officials dismissed this ... and pressed on [and it] paid off last year when, to the dismay of the industrialized world, Brazil declared its energy independence: Its sugarcane-based ethanol industry replaced gasoline as a cost-effective alternative fuel.
With the price of oil skyrocketing this year, Brazil has managed to pull off what the United States vowed to do when JIMMY CARTER was president and is not any closer to accomplishing as the second Bush administration’s second term comes to an end.
In a single generation it has ended it’s dependence on imported oil.”
Oh, for the days of Carter's long-term vision and wisdom again!! Be careful what you wish for....
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