The Sweet Taste of Hypocrisy June 26, 2008

As if we needed any more reason to vote for Obama, the hypocrisy of the John McCain camp has been revealed again. And again, and again again. Everywhere you turn you see a video of John McCain contradicting what he has previously said, reaffirming the belief of the vast majority of Americans that McCain panders to whatever interest group he’s currently courting, and will heed no conscience in his efforts to sieze the White House.

Black Gold: Why Offshore Drilling is Bravado June 23, 2008

Written by Mekhami and Addendum by Pegleghippie; crossposted to My Left Wing

I was working at my favorite West Texas hospital today, and a wealthy property owner came in for his daily treatment. Well into his 70’s, this gentleman and I always had a good conversation and a good laugh while I checked him and prepped him for the treatment room.  He told me about the 10.4 million dollar property he’s been dying to sell, and how he hasn’t gotten any real offers yet. Eventually the topic, given my politivangelistic© nature, turned to offshore drilling, and the energy crisis. We sparred semantics for a few minutes before getting to the nitty gritty about it. He’s a Republican (one of very few vices on the man) and so naturally, he’s for offshore drilling.

Wind Power, Solar Power May 20, 2008

The Department of Energy says we can provide a whopping 20% of our nation’s energy supply using wind power. This news comes both as a shock and a joy to me. A shock, because why aren’t we doing it yet?! and a joy because this means that this country can and will become a little bit greener.

For those of you who don’t have deductive reasoning skills, let me outline the benefits of wind power.

1. It’s clean. After assembly, it doesn’t emit harmful gases or radiation, and the only damage they can cause is damage to themselves. If they fall down or something. Which, doesn’t happen.
2. It’s renewable. Why? There will always be ample amounts of wind. It’s nature, folks.
3. It’s cheap. Alot cheaper than constructing an oil refinery or nuclear power plant.

Nature’s been blowing wind at us at raging speeds here in Central Texas. We get winds of 40-60 mph on a very regular basis. We get used to tackling our car doors to get out, and closed building entrances due to high wind.

So, common sense dictates we utilize this! I mean there is no logic against it, the rationale is completely there. Where is the downfall?

Loss of profits to oil companies, I’d assume.

Call me a conspiracy theorist (I usually call Pegleghippie that, but he’s in the Switz right now so I can’t rightly say anything bad til he gets back) but something tells me that the lowered demand for fossil fuels is something the government, especially conservative republicans, would not want to see. Many presidents have invested interest in seeing gas prices go up. Naturally they can’t say that out loud, but when you consider the vast amounts of money we’d save by setting up wind farms across the ‘Wind Belt’ of the US (which stretches from Mid to West Texas all the way up to Canada), there’s got to be some higher-up hindering the process for money.

And imagine how much that’d lower our Carbon Footprint? Well, according to a study by the Irish ESB National Grid, about 15%. 15% folks. By 2015, we’ll save up to 1880 tonnes of Co2 emissions every year. Go ahead and try to conceptualize a ton of tonnes of co2. 2000 tonnes. Gawd.

BUT STARTLING NEW DEVELOPMENT! Billionare Oilman Backs Wind Power! (Cnn.com) T. Boone Pickens, (What a beautifully rich southern oilman name) has invested time, effort, and money into developing just what I’m outlining here. Thank god for change. Or just thank Mr. Pickens. (Glorious name.)

G’night everybody.