We have lulled ourselves
into a false sense of dependency.
We are a nation so
dependent upon a life with fossil fuels that we've been unwilling to
accept that we're running out of them. Technology has buttressed our
fantasy that things could keep on just as they have. But the real
world costs of deep water drilling, fracking, mountain top removal,
tar sands mining, combustion pollution, and global warming has left
us far worse off than if we had simply dealt with the issue.
It is time to deal with
the issue.
Most of you have probably
already figured out why finagling a Bill that forces President Obama
to decide on the Keystone XL pipeline before the
election puts Obama on the hot seat... If President Obama were to
cancel the pipeline deal, the oil companies would spend whatever it
takes to get an oil sell-out elected in 2012. For the big money oil
oligarchs, this only makes “fiscal” sense. The potential tar
sands oil profits will more than make up for the campaign
contribution expenses. The oil oligarchs are willing to spend
millions – to make billions.
This isn't about what is
right. This isn't about what is best for Americans – or even for
America. This is about maximizing profits – at whatever the cost
(to the rest of us).
President Obama has
already been publicly threatened. Does “huge political
consequences” sound like a threat to you... especially when it
comes from the oil industry's top lobbyist? “Huge political
consequences” sounds a lot to me like; “Don't mess with us
billionaires. We can take you out.” (Of course, you're entitled to
your own interpretation. I'm open to other ideas. Maybe some of you
think this oil man could be talking about an “intervention.”)
Most of you probably
already know that the Keystone XL pipeline is an investment in an environmental disaster on a scale we have never seen before. But did
you know this pipeline will be a broken down hunk of junk right from
the start? A former Bechtel pipe inspector, now whistle-blower, has
come forth to warn us that the previous pipeline project Bechtel
worked on was built with “shoddy materials and poor craftsmanship.”
That's right, on top of it all; they're going to cut every corner in
the construction of this pipeline too. It may as well be guaranteed
to leak – and spill.
Here we go again; maximize
the profits – socialize the costs. Privatize our government –
socialize its losses... Or as the band Rage Against the Machine
put it; “bury the past, rob us blind, and leave nothing
behind.”
However, the fossil fuel
industry does plan on leaving something behind; the biggest
environmental, political, and economic mess in human history. They've
already corrupted our government. They can't wait for when the
supplies of fossil fuels drop, so they can price gouge us into a permanent depression. And hey, if they poison us all in the process
of getting filthy rich; oh well...
The fossil fuel industry
has a well documented history of leaving a poisonous mess where ever
they go. And their inexcusable record extends to consistently
fighting cleanup expenses or conducting much of any mitigation
efforts. For example; Chevron is still fighting an $18 billion settlement in Ecuador. I wouldn't be surprised if Chevron/Texaco has
spent more on advertising to con us into believing that they're the
good guys than they ever will helping Ecuador.
It is blatantly obvious
that the Canadian tar sands pipeline companies won't pay squat to
help the people they harm from the pipeline's consequences – if
they can get away with it. Hey, the industry is already trashing
Canada.
…
And then, of course;
there's global warming. The extreme climate change brought on by
global warming is already being felt world wide. Australia is in serious trouble – serious trouble! And here? Our snow capped
peaks aren't. And there's no significant snow in the
10-day forecast. That would put us into mid-January without any
snowpack at all! As far as I know; nobody has ever seen this before.
This could be a very dry year. And last year was an unusually wet
year. Which means we could see a lot of big wildfires this summer. We
might even suffer a mega-fire in Nevada (like in Texas last year and
California a couple of years ago).
Of course, the (paid off)
fossil fuel industry sympathizers will probably claim that this
climate change is all just natural fluctuations, sun spots, or
anything other than millions of tons of carbon dioxide
being extracted from the ground every year. Can they be trusted? No.
No way. For a part of billions of dollars, would you lie? Somebody
would. Even a hand full of scientists would lie for the right price.
Usually I say follow the
money. But this time I have a much more gruesome trail for you to
follow. Follow the dead bodies. Not just the animals and plants. Not
just the scores of cancer victims and victims of other pollution
related diseases. Follow the murder victims...
…
In case you hadn't
noticed; there's nobody getting murdered on the other side. And
ironically, it's the environmentalists that get accused of being
terrorists by Homeland “Security.” Face it; our police state
security system is in place to protect the very people causing the
most damage – and we, the taxpayers, got stuck paying for our own
oppression.
In the real
world, the biggest security risk we face is the loss of our home –
a healthy Earth. But apparently, we haven't wanted to pay the price
to keep from losing our home – and our situation continues to
worsen.
Now we, all of us, must
pay the price for the fossil fuel industry not wanting to give up
their outrageous profits.
And if President Obama
doesn't stand up to these greedy fools, the price the whole planet
will have to pay will be that much worse.
And if President Obama
can't get elected after doing the right thing, then I guess we
deserve what we get.
Consequences. That's the
price we'll pay for not being willing to pay the price of doing what
is best for us in the long run. And the consequences are horrifying.
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