Oil Spill May Spur Action on Energy, Probably Not on Climate
By John M. Broder, NYTimes --June 12, 2010
In the words of Senator Lindsey Graham of South Carolina, a Republican who worked on a climate change bill for months before pronouncing it hopeless, "There's nowhere near 60 votes to save the polar bear."
[...]
Images of gushing oil and dying pelicans in the Gulf of Mexico have stirred anger and agony in Washington. But are they enough to prod the Senate to act on long-delayed clean energy and climate change legislation?
Energy, maybe. Climate, probably not. There is growing sentiment for a measure that penalizes BP, imposes higher costs and tougher regulations on offshore drillers and takes some steps toward reducing overall energy and petroleum consumption.
But despite the outrage over the spill, there appears to be limited appetite in the Senate for a broad-based effort to cap greenhouse gas emissions across the board.
Surprise, surprise ...
More about the "backroom gaming" going on Right Now, in the Senate ..
[...] Senator Harry Reid of Nevada, the Democratic leader, has also signaled that he is open to patching together a series of limited energy measures rather than trying to push through a big climate bill like one sponsored by Senators John Kerry, Democrat of Massachusetts, and Joseph I. Lieberman, independent of Connecticut.
Mr. Reid has asked top committee leaders for ideas on how to structure a package of energy initiatives to bring to the Senate floor in July, a clear sign that he does not believe that the Kerry-Lieberman bill has a chance to pass on its own.
[...]
Instead, he [Lindsey Graham] endorsed a bill introduced last week by Senator Richard G. Lugar, Republican of Indiana, that sets higher fuel economy standards for cars, provides incentives for the development of alternative fuels and imposes stricter efficiency standards on buildings. The Lugar proposal includes no cap on carbon emissions but would seek to reduce greenhouse gas pollution through energy-saving steps.
"I'm not going to take a vote on the floor without a rational policy because we're in the middle of a major oil spill," Mr. Graham said. "I'm not going to put that on the table until I find out what happened in the gulf and make sure it doesn't happen again."
Looks like it's "Business as Usual" in the hallowed hall of our Senate.
Stall, Delay, shift Blame ...
Wait for "an Investigation" -- and then NOT Act, after one of those either.
Senator Graham, Senator Lugar, if you can't wrangle the votes to save the Polar Bears, how about voting to prevent more Oil-based Disasters, like were now experiencing?
If there is anything that will wake up the "Drill-Baby-Drill" crowd to the Urgent Need to "Break our Addiction to Oil" -- Perhaps these Drilling Fallout Photos might?
[Warning: many heart-wrenching images in the links below, far TOO many.]
Charlie Riedel (AP) somehow managed to get Gulf Oil impact photos.
These are the Iconic Bird photos, you've probably seen.
http://lens.blogs.nytimes.com/...
These look "new" to me. (Includes other Photographers, besides Riedel)
Many of the Oil blobs, and clean up work, other animals being devasted:
http://www.eutimes.net/...
more of Photo-Journalism work of Charlie Riedel:
http://news.yahoo.com/...
Senator Graham, Senator Lugar, if those don't make you pause, and reconsider,
If those photos, don't stir your Conservative sensibilities, maybe this will:
George W. Bush: 'America Is Addicted To Oil' (Video Clip)
2006 State Of The Union -- January 31, 2006
CBS News RAW: President Bush addressed the problem of the United States' reliance on oil and called for changes in how we power automobiles.
2006 State Of The Union
RE: Our Urgent Need to change our Energy Ways
Keeping America competitive requires affordable energy. Here we have a serious problem: America is addicted to oil, which is often imported from unstable parts of the world.
The best way to break this addiction is through technology. Since 2001, we have spent nearly 10 billion dollars to develop cleaner, cheaper, more reliable alternative energy sources – and we are on the threshold of incredible advances. So tonight, I announce the Advanced Energy Initiative – a 22-percent increase in clean-energy research at the Department of Energy, to push for breakthroughs in two vital areas. To change how we power our homes and offices, we will invest more in zero-emission coal-fired plants; revolutionary solar and wind technologies; and clean, safe nuclear energy.
We must also change how we power our automobiles. We will increase our research in better batteries for hybrid and electric cars, and in pollution-free cars that run on hydrogen. We will also fund additional research in cutting-edge methods of producing ethanol, not just from corn but from wood chips, stalks, or switch grass. Our goal is to make this new kind of ethanol practical and competitive within six years. Breakthroughs on this and other new technologies will help us reach another great goal: to replace more than 75 percent of our oil imports from the Middle East by 2025. By applying the talent and technology of America, this country can dramatically improve our environment ... move beyond a petroleum-based economy ... and make our dependence on Middle Eastern oil a thing of the past.
Senator Graham, Senator Lugar,
if that Bold Prescription, from President Bush is NOT enough to spur you to VOTE for Carbon-free Action -- What IS?
How about these dire warnings of this Paragon of American enterprise, just given today:
EXCLUSIVE: Bill Gates: 'We'll have more crises like the oil spill' if we don’t invest in clean energy innovation
White House Correspondent Jake Tapper, ABCNews --June 12, 2010 1:35 PM
In an exclusive interview on "This Week," Bill Gates, the co-founder and chairman of Microsoft, called for a dramatic increase in federal funding for clean energy innovation and warned of significant consequences -- more environmental crises, oil supply disruptions, increased energy costs and climate change -- if the United States fails to embrace the challenge of finding cheaper, cleaner energy.
Gates said the United States should invest $16 billion a year in energy research and development -- $11 billion more than it currently spends -- to find "real solutions" to our energy problems.
"What we're talking about is about one percent of what the United States spends on energy being devoted to R&D," Gates said. If we spend that one percent, he said, the U.S. "can tap into the unique ability in this country, through its universities, national labs [and] entrepreneurs, to give us a form of energy that is both cheaper, not dependent on foreign supply and is environmentally designed so that we're not emitting carbon and getting into the climate change problem."
Gates warned of the consequences of not investing in energy research: "We'll have more crises like the oil spill and we'll have the supply disruption. We'll start to see more and more effects of the climate problem," Gates advised.
"The costs will go up because you're looking for oil in harder and harder places. ... So you'll just be paying more and more. And so it's an implicit tax. If you don't innovate, it's this gigantic cost that we'll be paying," he said.
"I'm just so clear that this is a great investment and ... plays to America's strength," Gates explained. "This is what we do well."
WOW! According to Gates, America Needs to step up in a BIG way, and turn to:
Universities, national labs [and] entrepreneurs, to give us a form of energy that is both cheaper, [...] and is environmentally designed so that we're not emitting carbon [...]
This quintessential entrepreneur senses BOTH a Big Problem, AND a Big Opportunity.
Will American Politicians follow his lead -- will they FIND THE VOTES, to make it happen?
Just 1% of our annual Energy Budget -- and we could someday be FREE of this Carbon-Addiction, that the previous GOP President WARNED us about -- over 4 YEARS AGO!
And IF we don't make those 'Hard Investments' Now?
WE will PAY, MUCH, MUCH, MORE in the long run --
more in Blood, and Treasure,
more in Opportunity LOST,
more in terms of a devastated planet -- and all the grief, that entails.
[BTW, they used to call this: "Penny-wise, but Pound-foolish."]
Senator Graham, Senator Lugar,
Stand up for a Clean Energy Future -- the time to Act is NOW.
Future Generations are depending on you to take the first steps, to break this this Dangerous Addiction.
And the First Step is admitting -- We have a REAL problem.
One that cannot simply be "wished away" ... with 'Business as Usual' decisions.
Real Leaders -- KNOW When, it's Time to Act.