Thanks BP!
DemocRAT, big business as usual, calling bullshit, climate change, death, environment, oil, photoblog May 10th, 2010
“Under the leadership of Secretary Salazar, we’ll employ new technologies that reduce the impact of oil exploration. We’ll protect areas that are vital to tourism, the environment, and our national security. And we’ll be guided not by political ideology, but by scientific evidence. ”
“Ultimately, we need to move beyond the tired debates of the left and the right, between business leaders and environmentalists, between those who would claim drilling is a cure all and those who would claim it has no place.”
And thank you too, President Obama.
And by “thank you”, I mean “fuck you.”
May 11th, 2010 at 8:10 am
Ultimately I agree that this “spill” is epically tragic for the environment, the economy, society etc. but I also wonder, what is the short term solution? The long term answer is obvious: alternative energies. Historically, there is precious little R&D of alternative energies in the automotive industry and right now, there is no infrastructure to support.
So yes, we (the global “we”) drill.
Which begs the question – if more oversight is needed (seems it is) – who is to provide it and how and at what cost?
May 11th, 2010 at 9:36 am
heh: we could ask china. they’re way ahead of us in that area.
I don’t think there is a short-term solution: like so many of the US’s problems, we’ve painted ourselves into a corner. if we’d invested in rail infrastructure the way europe and china has, i could point to that as a short-term solution: but i can’t. even in NYC, where they have a HUGE system that’s used every day, you’re talking about an antique. Philly’s just a decrepit. (I may have to make a post our of this).
Then there’s the past 5-60 years of suburban development, which is based on decentralization, low population density, and a total absence of walkability: south jersey is a great example of this. No sidewalks, 2 or 3 lane main roads/highways everywhere. you have to drive everywhere. And that’s a cultural thing, which will be very hard to change: ever been to a city in new Mexico, Arizona, or Texas? My sister and I went cross country a few years ago, and when we tried to find dinner in downtown las cruces, there was no there there.
I need to watch “who killed the electric car”, which apparently talks about how huge strides were being made in that area, and then quashed by the automobile and oil industries.
Sometimes i feel like the US is Larry Hagman, waiting for a new liver but still suckin’ down the scotch like there’s no tomorrow.
May 12th, 2010 at 4:22 am
Hmmm.
Haliburton? To paraphrase Brak from a Space Ghost ep, “this tastes familiar…”