Thursday, May 20, 2010, marks one month since BP's oil rig exploded in the Gulf Coast, killing 11 people and unleashing one of the worst environmental disasters our nation has ever seen.
Since then, millions of gallons of oil have gushed into the ocean, poisoning marine life and threatening hundreds of miles of coastal waters, beaches and estuaries from the mouth of the Mississippi to the Florida Keys.
This is the clearest picture we could have of our failed national energy policy -- which extends over many decades and administrations. Yet, shockingly, our elected officials in the Senate continue to drag their feet on enacting the policies that would bring the real change we need to shift our country from dirty to clean energy sources, while creating jobs and cutting our dependence on oil.
This oil disaster is threatening marine life and habitat in a region that accounts for about 70 percent of U.S. production of shrimp and oysters, as well as millions of pounds each year of red snapper, grouper, bluefin tuna and other fish. Fishing has been shut down from the Mississippi River to the Florida Panhandle -- an area of 46,000 square miles, or roughly the size of the state of Pennsylvania. These closures are devastating to thousands of Gulf Coast families who depend on this bounty for their livelihood. Many of these people are still reeling from the trauma of Hurricane Katrina five years ago.
I am glad that President Obama announced that he would appoint an independent commission to look at the causes of the blow out and determine what we must do to prevent this from ever happening again. This is an important first step in addressing the national tragedy and coming up with real solutions to prevent future drilling disasters.
But it is not enough.
Right now, the Senate has legislation on the table that would help move us in a new direction and put America back in control of its energy future. The American Power Act, drafted by Senators Kerry and Lieberman, is not perfect-- but it is a significant step toward cutting our dependence on fossil fuels, limiting carbon pollution, and encouraging businesses to shift to clean energy sources.
Unfortunately, the full Senate continues to stall -- weighed down by too much infighting and too many special interests. That's why we need the president to assert his voice and leadership by letting the Senate -- and the American people -- know that he is serious about getting clean energy and climate legislation passed this year.
Americans want action (PDF). It is time for President Obama to use the power of his office to make sure we clean up this mess, and get America on a path to cleaner, safer energy.
In order to help get this message out, I've just recorded a new hard-hitting television commercial, produced by my colleagues at the Natural Resources Defense Council, calling on President Obama to lead us to a clean energy future.
I hope you will join me in asking our leaders in Washington to take action. You can learn more at nrdc.org/cleanenergynow.
Jamal Simmons: Friedman Asks: Where is the Plan? Maybe it's Waiting on the Outrage
While we news junkies watch oil gush into the Gulf, the impact of the problem is still a bit remote for most citizens. Sadly, the visible destruction caused by this crisis is coming.
Gina Solomon: Sick Fishermen and Oily Smells on the Gulf Coast
Yesterday in Venice, Louisiana, local residents called a press conference to talk about the air. People complained of the oily smells when the wind is blowing off the water, and listed symptoms including headaches, nosebleeds, and vomiting.
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The pictures of those helpless oil-coated pelicans are miserably nauseating....look at what we're doing to mother nature. It's too horrible. We need to CHANGE our ways.
If somebody would just sell a hybrid car that is affordable (15-20K), low maintenance, and long lasting - for the non-wealthy of us - it might be a lot easier to get there than all that other stuff.
But, in the meantime - what say ye:
Think Again: Drilling Deep to Mislead on Oil Prices
http://www.americanprogress.org/issues/2008/06/drilling_deep.html
Offshore Drilling: Look, Before You Go Deep
04/01/10
http://www.thestreet.com/story/10716512/4/offshore-drilling-look-before-you-go-deep.html
President Obama needs to replace Salazar & other political appointees with scientists. And put more scientists in our Corps of Engineers & Coast Guard. He is letting us down by not appointing the best & the brightest. He needs to take control of this situation IMMEDIATELY!
Carbon tax is the way to spur innovation and investment in alternative energy, not cap-and-trade http://science.howstuffworks.com/carbon-tax.htm
The current climate bill is worse than nothing: http://www.carbontax.org/blogarchives/2010/05/14/kerry-lieberman-%e2%80%9cclimate%e2%80%9d-bill-is-worse-than-nothing/
Also, we need to amend the Constitution to permit only public funding of election campaigns in order to dilute the power of corporations http://www.callaconvention.org/
Check out this site as well https://sites.google.com/site/usvotersite/
Moreover, let us all boycott Boycott Georgia-Pacific (owned by Koch Industries) wood-based products: Quilted Northern®, Angel Soft®, Brawny® Sparkle®, Soft ‘n Gentle®, Mardi Gras®, Vanity Fair®, Dixie® tabletop products, LYCRA® fiber, COOLMAX® fabric, STAINMASTER® carpet, ANTRON® carpet fiber, CORDURA® fabric, COMFOREL® fiberfill, POLYSHIELD® resin, POLYCLEAR® resin, OXYCLEAR™ resin, PERFORMA® film and sheet, and POLARGUARD® continuous filament polyester fiber.”
http://abclocal.go.com/kgo/story?section=news/politics&id=7440121
Meanwhile, people on the West coast still drive and use oil in a myriad other products and services (including production and delivery of food, plastics, medicines, pesticides, etc).
That oil is drilled SOMEWHERE in the world. Yet West Coast people still use it. This is the biggest NIMBY issue ever in the history of the world.
Hypocrites extrodinairre.
It's time for somebody to get pissed off! BHO appointing a commission to study the problem is ludicrous! We DO NOT need a plan right now, WE NEED TO STOP THE FRIGGING OIL SPILL! NOW!
BHO should violate whatever BS legislation is stopping him and take charge of the spill, then deal with the consequences later.
There are other riggs out there also in terrible shape that many thought were worse off than the one that exploded. As horrible a catastrophe as this one is, it could potentially multiply if we dont get serious about other ways to get energy. And it cannot wait!
Taxing radiation and heavy metals pollution will raise the cost of fossil and Nuke electricity and fuels, which smart people will take as encouragement to be more efficient. That's the first improvements most people should make.
http://www.ecobusinesslinks.com/solar_panels.htm
about 1$ per Wp solar panels, new.
"llows them to install solar plants for about $1.30 per watt, compared with an industry average of about $1.75, according to Hardy." http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20602099&sid=a7K1FZoNgJ0w
3-6 cents. now.
I spent 5 k on more efficient windows, and fixing my heat pump, that's saving about 700$ per year on our very low electricity rates.
Wind: “with the busbar cost between two and six cents today, depending on location.12 Wind power approaches competitiveness with conventional generation at this price point. “
http://www.repp.org/articles/static/1/binaries/wind%20issue%20brief_FINAL.pdf
http://www.css.cornell.edu/faculty/lehmann/publ/BiofBioproBioref%203,%20547-562,%202009%20Laird.pdf
26$ per barrel bio oil from waste bio char.
Sustainable Energy – without the hot air
Download the book http://www.inference.phy.cam.ac.uk/sustainable/book/tex/sewtha.pdf
Read the full environmental cycle costs for solar:
http://www.nrel.gov/pv/thin_film/docs/20theuropvscbarcelona4cv114_raugei.pdf
http://events.solarplaza.com/thesolarfuture/blog/
http://www.nrel.gov/docs/fy04osti/35489.pdf
show your research, not someone opinion.
show the maintenance energy costs for wind.
Let's see it.
The of roof-mounted grid-connected solar panels over a 20 year lifetime is 4.
The energy yield ratio of wind turbines over a 20 year lifetime is 80.
Obviously it's incorrect, since panels are being made for under 50 cents per W, and sold under 1$.
That includes energy cost and energy company profits, plus materials.
Even then, the panels produces 7.8 times the values of electricity at 12 cents per KWH,
That's total value, not just energy.