Join mass action today, Monday, June 18th-- Tweet & Facebook #endfossilfuelsubsidies
Every year, around the world, almost one trillion dollars of subsidies is handed out to help the fossil fuel industry. Who came up with the crazy idea that the fossil fuel industry deserves our hard-earned money, no less in economic times of such harsh human consequence? We fire teachers, police and firemen in drastic budget cuts and yet, the fossil fuel industry can laugh all the way to the bank on our dime? Something doesn't add up here.
We should not be subsidizing the destruction of our planet. Fossil fuels are literally cooking our planet, polluting our air and draining our wallets. Why should we continue to reward companies to do that?
As they go after more expensive and harder to access fossil fuels, it is like drilling a hole in our pocketbooks. We pay more at the pump. We pay in taxpayer subsidies to a highly profitable industry. And we pay in the rising costs of climate change in the form of floods, storms and droughts that hurt our homes and communities.
Our world leaders are gathering in Rio over the coming days for a historic meeting twenty years after the first Earth Summit. We are looking to our governments to show leadership and commit to real timetables and actions for fighting climate change, including ending fossil fuel subsidies. Sure, they've made commitments to stop these unnecessary payouts. But commitments need to become action to have any meaning. And despite strong words, we are not yet seeing action on the ground.
In the United States, President Obama has repeatedly proposed cutting $4 billion in annual federal subsidies to the oil and gas industry and several bills to cut fossil fuel subsidies are stalled in Congress.
Think about what else we could do with one trillion dollars. We could create clean energy jobs, limit greenhouse gas emissions that create climate change and help make a healthier and more secure life for our children. Instead, we give 12 times as much in subsidies to the fossil fuel industry as we give to clean energy industries like wind and solar.
If you have a dollar to invest -- investing that dollar in clean energy creates three times the jobs of the same dollar invested in the fossil fuel industry. In fact, studies show that fossil fuel subsidies slow economic growth. Clean energy is a great example of building a green economy. Ending fossil fuel subsidies is good for our pocketbooks, economic growth and for our health and environment.
In poll after poll after poll, the public says they want more renewable energy and less fossil fuels.
So why aren't our world leaders doing more to deliver what the public wants instead of what oil, gas and coal companies want? We need to hold our leaders accountable for the choices they make on our behalf.
People around the world are waking up to the absurdity of subsidizing Big Oil and Coal. Over a million people have already signed onto a petition to end fossil fuel subsidies. And on June 18, people from all over the world will be sending world leaders message on Twitter and Facebook to #endfossilfuelsubsidies.
Just last March, President Obama said,
Instead of taxpayer giveaways to an industry that's never been more profitable, we should be using that money to double-down on investments in clean energy technologies that have never been more promising.
These proposals have so far failed in the face of strong industry opposition and the fossil fuel industry is equally obstructive elsewhere in the world.
In a time of economic hardship, progressing climate change and a growing demand for reliable and clean sources of energy, using taxpayer money to help oil, gas and mining companies represent a reckless and irrational use of taxpayer money and government investment. We can do better. We need the fossil fuel industry to stop asking us to pay the price for their greed. We need our world leaders to turn their words into actions. And we can start by reminding them to #endfossilfuelsubsidies.
High wages are good for the economy. When money clots in the top 1% or less, that's when it crashes, and democracy dies.
"When economic power became concentrated in a few hands, then political power flowed to those possessors and away from the citizens, ultimately resulting in an oligarchy or tyranny." John Adams
"As riches increase and accumulate in few hands . . . the tendency of things will be to depart from the republican standard." Alexander Hamilton
Who's going to stop the damage to our commons and health, our wars for oil, and climate alterations? The market won't.
The market is not benign.
Unregulated markets are plutocracy.
When the free market leads to big money and corporations telling our republics, our democracies what they can do, that's plutocracy.
Haven't you had enough of that?
You really think the rich love you?
You really think the politicians love you ? They make the market in Force . That's how they get rich .
No company in a free market can force you to do anything .
And the super-statists commit criminal fraud against the very building block of the biosphere which , along with H2O , you and all life on earth are made . That's tyranny .
It will benefit the taxpayer though, so I agree that we should do it.
Now, what to do about the massive subsidies given out in: Iran, Venezuela, Saudi Arabia, Nigeria, and other major oil producers? That is where the big problems are.
Refiners of gasoline: 1.7%
Walmart: 3.4%
Oil&Gas companies: 5-8%
Apple Computers: 24%
Microsoft: 33.4%
We The People selling and taxing our Oil: 100% profit margin and equals 7 times what an Oil&Gas Compnay nets in profit. At least that is what US Government-approved financial reports, audited by third party accounting firms state.
We The People are Big Oil. We own the vast majority of oil in the US.
Dr. A.B.McPherson
Oil corporations sell $100 billion worth of products. They net $10 billion and pay $4 billion in corporate taxes. They pay government(s) $30 billion for the oil. They collect $35 billion in taxes for the government(s) from us to pass on to the government(s).
They are making record profits because of volume alone. They merged.
What seems obvious isn't really when one looks at real data.
I've thought about it, but I concluded this doesn't matter...at least the incremental amount released.
- A scientist in a relevant field...please pick a new tack; this is boring
1 Oil is our only real energy resource
Why ? Because the American people, their government and oil companies NEVER took real steps to convert to any alternative energy source with true commitment.
What is true committment ?
Transitioning the entire economy from fossil fuel to another alternative energy. Oil is the ENTIRE economy of the US.
2 Oil is National Security leverage and therefore drives our Foreign Policy = because of this the War Industry WANTS oil to stay strong. Period. End of discussion.
What do you mean by leverage ? Did you take World History in Highschool ? Did you ever hear of World War II ? Why do you think we won ? Answer = OIL. We won because we had more OIL. The Brits, the French Resistance, Russia etc... we out lasted the bastards. There transportation and mobility declined to a stagnation. It's a lesson that will NOT be forgotten easily.
Why is it a big isssue? Because "they" WANT to win. The war never stopped it just went into economics. Wake up. You've been watching WAY too much E! channel.
3 Oil owns our government. They are our government. You've been electing candidates that were CREATED by Oil.
Maybe, just maybe. We should be investing that in renewables, as a hedge against finite resource annihilation. Military technology manufacturers, may also care to consider that new market opportunity.
"Something doesn't add up here."
Ignore the red ink. Factor in the campaign contributions.
"several bills to cut fossil fuel subsidies are stalled in Congress."
Why would they dirty their hands pushing those though, when they have getaway cars ticking over nicely outside?
"Just last March, President Obama said,"
Is it just me, or is it getting warm around here?
"We can do better."
Twitterers, doin’ it for ourselves.