Having been out in the field shooting the last few days provided me with much relief especially since I have not read a newspaper or watched television, or surfed the net. Well, now that I am catching up on developments in the news, I have been delighted to see that Senator Nelson’s bill has garnered vital support in the house especially from U.S. Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, Lincoln Díaz-Balart and Mario Díaz-Balart, Clay Shaw, and Mark Foley, as well as others in Congress from both parties. See my earlier post on these latest developments. http://mpancier.blogspot.com/2006/05/14-join-nelson-bid-to-bar-cuban-oil.html#links
This brings me to my commentary for the week.
The photo posted is one I took last Saturday at Tigertail Beach, in Marco Island, Florida. This beach is one of the most beautiful beaches in the state. It is known for its white sands, it’s clear aquamarine waters, and abundant shore bird populations.
Now imagine what this image would look like if it were tarnished with globs of oil and other refuse. The image would not be as serene would it.
Florida’s business is tourism. Tourism means dollars and jobs to our state. Moreover, the beauty of our beaches must be preserved at all costs especially from opportunists who are using the current gas price situation as an excuse to drill off of our Florida coast. Many of those who propose drilling off the Florida coast are from somewhere else. Those Floridians who favor drilling off of our coast are simply a bunch short sighted, narrow minded selfish dolts. (I use the word dolt because it is much nicer than the “p” word I am actually thinking of).
Everyone is crying about the price of gas. Well, my answer is you reap what you sow. Who told you to buy gas guzzling SUV’s? The President is correct to say that we are a nation “addicted to oil.” But just like the other addiction that this country has, to illegal narcotics, the solution is not found in simply going after the pushers. You must stop the demand. It’s simple economics people. So long as there is demand for drugs, there will be drugs. So long as there is demand for oil, the price will get higher.
All the pundits were warned years ago that they need to conserve. They ignored the pleas. The same pundits were warned about a lack of refineries. Those warnings were ignored. Hopefully people will heed the call today and look to the long term. Conserve people. Hell, I drive a PT Cruiser and have driven one since they first came out in 2000. I get great gas mileage.
We can drill in ANWR and perhaps there will be fuel there. However, with no refining capacity, we will do as we have always done with much of the Alaskan oil, export it. Does not solve our domestic issue does it. Drilling off of the Florida coast will not solve the problem. Only conservation and alternative fuels will my friends. Oil is a finite resource. And frankly, I’ll be damned before I let my coastline get ruined so you scoundrels can drive your SUV’s and Hummers.
We still are doing quite well when compared to Europe and what they pay. So count your blessings people.
As I’ve said before. If people in other states want drilling off of their coasts, then so be it. But here in Florida, the vast majority of the people don’t want it. Moreover, we must preserve our pristine coastline at all costs. This beach must be protected so hopefully our children can enjoy the same visage that I present to you in this image.
3 comments:
Conservation helps but it alone won't do it. In this latest oil crisis, if you can call it that. There's plenty of blame to go around. But the bottom line is that we MUST get away from oil sooner rather than later. The full resources of this country's industry and government must work together to accomplish this. It's not only a matter of economy, but a matter of national security. There are many viable alternatives outthere that can be exploited, but a fire must be ignited under the American people to stop being so complacent and demand more from industry and their government. It can happen, just ask The United Arab Emirates. I have no problem with 60 MPG Electric or hybrid Hummers. It can be done. The American entrepenuerial spirit can be marshalled to solve this problem. If we can drive remote control rovers on Mars, thrust me we can ween ourselves from oil. The only way it will happen is if the people put the pressure on elected officials and industry by voting with their wallets and send a message that we will not take it anymore. My guess is that the true level of pain hasn't arrived yet. When it finally does, it will happen.
They always catch us with our pants down because we fail to look at problems long term. This country is a quarter to quarter vision country. And I don't want to hear about importing ethanol from Brazil. Our farmers can produce all the ethanol we need and then some. It's embarassing that a third world country like Brazil is free from oil dependency. And we are now on our third or fourth crisis, and can't stop playing grab-ass long enough to focus on the problem and solve it. I could go on and on about this but I'm tired of typing so I'll go now.
BTW Bill Gates has just invested 84 million in PACIFIC ETHANOL...So the ball is rolling...You want to know were the future is? Follow the money...
The problem with oil is that everyone in government has deep interestes in it. Either they are huge investors in the industry(Bush family), or they get huge campaign contributions by the oil lobbyists, so they are getting rich by letting this run as long as possible. That is the biggest problem to all of this. I am sure even most executives and board members of car manufacturing companies have investments in oil, so unless their non-oil using product can provide enough income to make up for the loos on the oil side, they won't do it either. So, how can we go to an alternative source, if all the big guys involved have major interests on keeping it as it is? We stop driving? Oh, Ethanol, that may be the biggest PR crap Chgevy has pulled off. My Ford has it (and it's a 2003), but the only facilities that have it in Florida re in Cape Canaveral, and somehwer else hundreds of miles away, and they are both private facilities, who won't sell it to me even if I went there. So where is the infrastructure for it? I know gas companies have no interest in it, they want to keep selling you oil, at whatever price they want to. So who will do this, knowing that it will be a big risk in the long run, and huge loss initially until(and if) it catches on. Does, it have potential? Yes, huge potential. Will it work, I hope it will, but I am not too hopeful.
That's were the politicos can help. They can make a law that says every new station built must have a percentage of pumps for ethanol. And all older stations have until 2015 to retrofit. Ethanol is dispensed in a similar way to gas so in part the infrastructure is not too difficult to modify. Shit all they have to do is take a trip to Brazil and see how they are doing it.
And yes you are right about the oil industry's influence on our elected officials. They as many other industries have lots of lobbysts on the payroll advancing their agenda. The whole system stinks. The government of "for the people by the people" has been derailed by big money politics. Again I come back to complacency by us, the American voters who are too busy with our everyday lifes and don't pay enough attention to what these rascals are doing in Washington. I say throw all the bums out and start over. And maybe term limits is not such a bad idea. Get fresh new ideas every once in a while, instead of all these career politicians that are only there to feather their own nest.
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