Just when it seems like people are ready to explore alternatives, and use less fuel, we are bombarded with speeches and stories about drilling for more oil. Even right after a fuel spill.
Here is just a small example when searching for stories about today's major fuel spill on the Mississippi River. Perhaps it's just a coincidence, but it I couldn't let it pass.
I heard this on the radio this morning. It seemed like a big story:
HOUSTON (Reuters) - A chemical tanker split a fuel barge in half on the Mississippi River on Wednesday, spilling thousands of gallons of fuel oil and forcing the closure of a 58-mile (93-km) stretch from New Orleans southward that could last for days, a U.S. Coast Guard spokesman said.
A major spill on the our largest river in a region that can ill afford more disasters, and the shutting down of a vital commercial corridor. That is a serious story. I popped out "dailynews.yahoo.com" to check it out. It wasn't on the front page (I did eventually find the story quoted above), but I did see this photo:
Hmmm, so maybe that's a link to a story about the Mississippi River fuel spill? Not quite:
That's right, instead of a photo of one of today's major stories, CNN is pushing the "controversy" about drilling in ANWR!
I don't think I need to go into the details of drilling in ANWR, I just thought it was rather ironic to be promoting today, and just another example of how drilling is being pushed really aggressively right now.
My worry is that the other side is trying to do what they do so well, re-frame and re-define the issue in terms of "fuel prices are high because we're not drilling enough" and "drilling is the future of energy production." And just at a time when people seem ready to consider alternatives...