In case anyone hasn’t been paying attention, the worst threat Palin poses on a White House ticket is the threat she poses to the environment.
Palin doesn’t believe humans are responsible for global warming, even though her state has a front row seat as the Artic melts away.
Palin wants to drill through Alaskan wilderness for oil even though scientists have long concluded that the presumed oil there is negligible and wouldn’t become available at least ten years after discovery.
Palin has fought successfully against imposing stricter regulations on mining operations which pollute Alaskan streams and destroy the state’s most important international export: salmon. … If you like “wild caught Alaskan Salmon” you had better eat up now before Palin’s policies have you munching on iron ore and smelt.
And oh yeah, Palin is on record refusing to believe the polar bear is endangered.
Palin personifies the forces behind global warming and pollution: beaurocrats with their heads in the sand and pockets full of oil money.
Financial blowhards are tar-and-feathering the Rockefellers for suggesting that ExxonMobil start thinking outside the box. The founding family (of ExxonMobil’s predecessor Standard Oil) wants the oil behemoth to increase its accountability to shareholders, streamline corporate governance, be more transparent and most importantly: cast its focus on the future — a greener future.
Wall Streeters lose themselves when looking at ExxonMobil’s numbers. The company makes more money than the GDP of 2/3’s of the world’s economies. And these corporate lapdogs are lashing out at the Rockefellers for daring to suggest that ExxonMobil change course in any way. They’re thinking: “The company is raking in the cash - why change anything?”
But Wall Street is blinded by the dollar sign, naturally.
The Rockefellers are not.
The oil-rich family is thinking about ExxonMobil’s future returns, not current. Because they understand that this is the key to real and lasting wealth.
Oil is 20th Century. And we are living in the 21st.
The Rockefellers want ExxonMobil, along with streamlining its operations, to start investing in green technology. We should be celebrating this visionary leadership. The Rockefellers see all too clearly that oil is a losing game. The times may be fat now, but wait till the oil dries up, or simply becomes too expensive to harvest and refine for your average consumer to purchase as we have become accostomed.
Right-wing corporate lobbyists have called the Rockefellers out-of-touch veggie-heads for suggesting an investment in green tech. This accusation is laughable.
Here, Wall Street is blinded by the word “green”, foolishly equating the word with money-pit.
Again, the Rockefellers are not so blinded.
They understand that future is in green technology. So, the family is wondering why ExxonMobil shouldn’t position itself to lead the way. It seems like a no-brainer.
At the end of the day, green tech and green energy is going to march us into the 22nd Century - not oil. And the Rockefellers are thinking to themselves: “We might as well make a buck.”
Everyone should be waking up to Thomas Friedman’s column in the New York Times today. He puts it plain and clear why McCain-Clinton’s ponzi-scheme “gas tax break” is a ruinous plan for an already nose-diving “energy policy”.
“If you are going to use tax policy to shape energy strategy then you want to raise taxes on the things you want to discourage — gasoline consumption and gas-guzzling cars — and you want to lower taxes on the things you want to encourage — new, renewable energy technologies. We are doing just the opposite.” - Thomas Friedman
Americans should be outraged by their elected officials squabbling over energy policy in Washington. Has the oil industry paid everyone off??? Otherwise Congress’ actions and inaction simply make no sense at all.
What could Hillary Clinton be thinking? Aligning herself with John McCain around some pie-in-the-sky
ponzi scheme their calling a “gas tax break”? Honestly.
We are at such a critical juncture, the moment so pivotal, with concern to our economy, our environment and our way-of-life: this is not the time to be coaxing Americans to the gas station.
This is a time for visionary leadership. This is a time for revolutionary ideas and innovation! We have to come up with alternative sources of energy and transportation. We cannot remain dependent and addicted to oil and gas.
Clinton is proving that she is nothing more than another oil industry lap dog with this backwards move.
Russia, being the maverick she is, is refusing to cap its greenhouse gas emissions. Isn’t that the most glorious news? But, seriously, Russia is really refusing to cap its greenhouse gas emissions. Ummm …
I mean, the world puts up with a lot of ridiculous bs when it comes to Russia. We allow her to think she is part of the G-8. We try to treat her like any other First World “Democracy”. We console her as she cries watching her old “allies” defect from the East and realign themselves with Europe, NATO and the US. We try to treat Russia as if it were on an equal playing field with the rest of the industrialized world. And everyone knows its a load of bull.
But the world cannot continue to play into Russia’s distorted self-image and allow the country to blow off initiatives to combat global warming.
We stand back as the country curbs free speech and intimidates and kills its journalists.
We look away as their leader consolidates power through thuggery and manipulation, as the government gobbles up industry and media - silencing any opposition through violence and imprisonment.
We remain neutral as the Kremlin conducts assassination attempts on its whistle blowing defectors in London.
We watch on casually as she threatens her neighbors (allies of the US) with war and expels foreign diplomats and makes trade deals with our enemies.
And we raise no flags when Russia bullies Europe by threatening to cut off its oil supply.
This can be tolerated no longer. Russia needs to be brought in line. As one of the most polluted places on earth, with 100+ acre “dead zones” due to industrial waste and mismanagement, Russia’s environmental policy effects us all.
The carbon and other greenhouse gases which Russia spews with abandon is breathed by everyone all over the planet - especially in the northern hemisphere. Their air is our air and vice versa. Get it?
Russia needs to fall in step with the rest of the civilized world and take steps to reduce her carbon emissions
Otherwise, we need to stop pretending that Russia is a friend, an ally, a legitimate power or a dominate player on the world stage. We need to stop pretending that Putin’s Russia is nothing more than an authoritarian state in capitalist drag. Bad capitalist drag.
Opec says to expect oil to hit $200/barrel. Currently it’s around $120.
Keep in mind that despite the rise at the gas pump everyone around the country has noticed - that price increase does not fully reflect the increase in oil prices. Our gas is heavily subsidized, effectively keeping us addicted to the stuff while the price at the pump is allowed to slowly creep up.
But, these magic tricks at masking the true price of oil are going to go up in smoke as prices for everything else that requires oil skyrockets. Food, cars, trucks, airplanes, goods and building materials. We can’t subsidize everything.
I think it is way past time to start effectively investing in alternative energy sources. And I believe it’s going to take independent entrepreneurs without any assistance from Washington to lead the way.
An addict has to hit rock bottom before he sees the light and changes his proverbial ways. We haven’t come close to hitting rock bottom with oil prices. And we need to admit that we are addicted. Addicted-addicted. So, expect things to get worse.
Oil prices keep on climbing. Up, up and away!
Seems that it’s past time to start retooling our energy policy. We really can’t wait till November. Solar panels, wind turbines, electric vehicles, bicycles and mass transit. It doesn’t a take a rocket scientist to figure out a solution. Only someone with common sense and whose pockets haven’t been lined by ExxonMobil.
Is anyone surprised by this report from the National Defense University??? Shouldn’t be. Our failure is one (of many) reason we are building walls in Baghdad. Building walls = failure of policy, failure of strategy, failure of diplomacy, failure of basic communication.
Turns out Russia doesn’t have an endless supply of oil after all. Better halt construction on Moscow’s countless multi-million dollar condos which are popping up all over the city like weeds.
Pain at the pump much? I suppose I don’t have to spell out to everyone why this news sucks the big one. Hmmm. What to do when the oil runs dry? … Calling Al Gore
On a more positive note: I guess this means there is no reason to invade Russia.