Energy Independence and the Domestic Drilling Con Job
1 Comment Published by Seamus Ford September 7th, 2008 in Commentary, Peak Oil, Politics/Voting, Social Responsibility.During John Mcain’s recent acceptance speech, there were periodic interruptions where the crowd could be heard chanting “Drill Baby Drill!”. The implication during the convention was that we are are addicted to foreign oil and if the damn environmentalists had not controlled congress in the 1970s and passed all kinds of restrictive legislation we might not be in the situation we are in.
A recent drop in the price of oil concurring with the lifting of the ban on off shore drilling by President Bush might seem to indicate that off shore drilling might help bring down the price of gas in North America. If there is a connection, it is dubious at best. When people are chanting “Drill Baby Drill”, what they are actually referring to is exploration not tapping immediately available oil.
The fact is that we been at plateau in global oil production of about 85.5 million barrels perday since 2005. Most energy analysts and experts in the field say that the remaining oil in North America will be increasingly difficult to get at. A case in point is the Alberta Tar Sands project that after more than a decade of development still requires more energy to produce than it provides.
This upcoming US election is perhaps the most important in the history of the world. Already history making for the age, gender and ancestry of the people involved, it is the one where the choices that are made will have permanent consequences. That is not being dramatic. The long term future of the US economy and it’s dynamic ability to create jobs and prosperity is not guaranteed. The United States not only behind in the development of a post oil infrastructure, it is out of shape and unmotivated.
The world needs the United States to participate in the leadership of the coming Green Economy. It needs our still dynamic, innovative outside the box thinking to address the global challenge of keeping all of our economies going while we are making this transition to life after oil.
Maybe the bigger legacy of the environmental legislation of the 1970′s is not that it protects our natural treasures, but that it will bring about the true potential of the US economy to create prosperity and quality of life for each of us.
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Seamus
Awesome man! keep at it – we need more people like us in the world. I want to learn more about your efforts and find out how I can help.
I am preparing to launch a new web service that I hope will help us. http://www.otoyk.com – shh…
I want to share my mantra with you – “we are the one’s we have been waiting for”
“You have been telling the people that this is the Eleventh Hour, now you must go back and tell the people that this is the Hour. And there are things to be considered . . .
Where are you living?
What are you doing?
What are your relationships?
Are you in right relation?
Where is your water?
Know your garden.
It is time to speak your Truth.
Create your community.
Be good to each other.
And do not look outside yourself for the leader.”
Then he clasped his hands together, smiled, and said, “This could be a good time!”
“There is a river flowing now very fast. It is so great and swift that there are those who will be afraid. They will try to hold on to the shore. They will feel they are torn apart and will suffer greatly.
“Know the river has its destination. The elders say we must let go of the shore, push off into the middle of the river, keep our eyes open, and our heads above water. And I say, see who is in there with you and celebrate. At this time in history, we are to take nothing personally, Least of all ourselves. For the moment that we do, our spiritual growth and journey comes to a halt.
“The time for the lone wolf is over. Gather yourselves! Banish the word struggle from you attitude and your vocabulary. All that we do now must be done in a sacred manner and in celebration.
“We are the ones we’ve been waiting for.”
Brewse