There Is No Oil Shortage
Mood:  happy
Topic: 7. Political Record

[printed "Macon Telegraph" May 27, 2008]

http://www.macon.com/209/story/359608.html

 

"Quick fixes won't work"  (their heading)

 

There is no oil shortage.

There are fuel supply bottlenecks at the refineries, but this is not for lack of crude oil.

Those who control the production of refined gasoline prefer clamping down on the output to inflate prices and boost profits.

This should be old news, since Sen. Ron Wyden of Oregon pulled back the curtain in 2001, revealing internal memos from Chevron, Texaco and Mobil (now merged with Exxon). Circulated in the mid-1990s, the memos warned about "poor financial results" if gasoline supplies were not scaled back.

Those memos proposed shutting down many refineries in the interest of profit margins.

No new refineries have gone on line since 1975.

Meanwhile, the cartel also scapegoated environmental laws.

In recent news, "there is no oil shortage," but a 5.7 billion barrel surplus, and a commodities market full of hucksters preying on speculators.

Crude trades at more than $120 a barrel, but it is actually worthless until the processors decide it's profitable to convert it into fuel, lubricant, paint, grocery bags, vinyl or cosmetics.

ANWR's alleged bounty cannot offer a solution for consumers. That oil wouldn't benefit Americans, anyway, because Asian countries would bid higher.

Ethanol and other alternatives could be viable, but there are no smart people leading such projects. (e.g., should use wood scraps, chicken fat, and solar PV, instead of corn, soybeans, and coal).

The energy industry's practices need an honest, competent, top-to-bottom shakedown, not quick fixes by uninformed politicians.

Agriculture, not oil, should be priority No. 1
Mood:  bright
Topic: 7. Political Record
Op-Ed Letter

Posted on Fri, Feb. 15, 2002

Agriculture, not oil, should be priority No. 1


Offered a choice between a loaf of bread, or a gallon of gasoline, 95 out of 100 random individuals from every continent would pick the bread.

Agriculture sustains the world. Petroleum does not.

Our farms already hold the Earth's most-prized tangible commodities. A slim majority (215-214) of the U.S. House, though, including Rep. Saxby Chambliss, would sell them out on a "fast track" to export American jobs and import inferior products tainted by slave labor, health risks, and environmental mismanagement.

Neither First-World consumers nor Third-World producers really benefit from "free" trade, though it profits the elite jingos of global feudalism. Look at NAFTA. The social tariffs of the Greens' platform, in contrast, protect domestic standards of living, and reinvest the revenues into the target countries' education and health care.

Beyond food and durable goods (including plastic), agriculture also has the potential to supply us with clean, renewable energy. The Federal DOE recognizes it but doesn't give biofuels the same financial incentives it does to oil, coal and gas. The University of Georgia just invested $30,000 to retrofit power generators to run on chicken fat. Yet, we're not part of the 25-state Governors' Ethanol Coalition, which also includes Brazil, Canada, Mexico, and Sweden.

I can't buy the myth of "crop surpluses" when people die cold and hungry every day, and we're so desperate for energy that we'll subsidize offshore depth charges for oil exploration. (Then again, I'm also too cheap to dump a million bucks a shot on humbug missile defense testing.)

Bush's new Freedom CAR program is just beating the same dead pig as Willie's PNGV, since U.S. taxpayers have already funded the existing fuel-cell technology that the Detroit 3 markets to Europe. A trained environmentalist (not the PIRG) sees it's stalling the immediate demand for cleaner, energy-efficient vehicles. A trained economist (not Hastert) sees Americans on waiting lists for Japanese hybrids, while he predicts the 2-day "head fake" trend on stock prices in the relevant sector, traded above 700 percent normal volume, rising and falling after Secretary Abraham's big speech.

In effect, the Senate farm bill does affect energy and the economy. The House, meanwhile, intentionally poison-pilled their "stimulus" package with giveaways that would do nothing but undermine the long-term job security of teachers, cops, firefighters, and RAFB-related workers. Why aren't Senate Republicans called "obstructionist," if they won't be "bipartisan" enough to pass Daschle's provisions?

These may be minority views to urban folks drinking neurotoxic municipal water. Among suit-clad proponents of the worst ballot access requirements of any democracy in the world, though, I'm proud to wear denim overalls.

Green Party 101
Topic: 7. Political Record

1. GRASSROOTS DEMOCRACY

Every human being deserves a say in the decisions that affect their lives and not be subject to the will of another. Therefore, we will work to increase public participation at every level of government and to ensure that our public representatives are fully accountable to the people who elect them. We will also work to create new types of political organizations which expand the process of participatory democracy by directly including citizens in the decision-making process.

2. SOCIAL JUSTICE AND EQUAL OPPORTUNITY

All persons should have the rights and opportunity to benefit equally from the resources afforded us by society and the environment. We must consciously confront in ourselves, our organizations, and society at large, barriers such as racism and class oppression, sexism and homophobia, ageism and disability, which act to deny fair treatment and equal justice under the law.

3. ECOLOGICAL WISDOM

Human societies must operate with the understanding that we are part of nature, not separate from nature. We must maintain an ecological balance and live within the ecological and resource limits of our communities and our planet. We support a sustainable society which utilizes resources in such a way that future generations will benefit and not suffer from the practices of our generation. To this end we must practice agriculture which replenishes the soil; move to an energy efficient economy; and live in ways that respect the integrity of natural systems.

4. NON-VIOLENCE

It is essential that we develop effective alternatives to society's current patterns of violence. We will work to demilitarize, and eliminate weapons of mass destruction, without being naive about the intentions of other governments. We recognize the need for self-defense and the defense of others who are in helpless situations. We promote non-violent methods to oppose practices and policies with which we disagree, and will guide our actions toward lasting personal, community and global peace.

5. DECENTRALIZATION

Centralization of wealth and power contributes to social and economic injustice, environmental destruction, and militarization. Therefore, we support a restructuring of social, political and economic institutions away from a system which is controlled by and mostly benefits the powerful few, to a democratic, less bureaucratic system. Decision-making should, as much as possible, remain at the individual and local level, while assuring that civil rights are protected for all citizens.

6. COMMUNITY-BASED ECONOMICS AND ECONOMIC JUSTICE

We recognize it is essential to create a vibrant and sustainable economic system, one that can create jobs and provide a decent standard of living for all people while maintaining a healthy ecological balance. A successful economic system will offer meaningful work with dignity, while paying a "living wage" which reflects the real value of a person's work.
Local communities must look to economic development that assures protection of the environment and workers' rights; broad citizen participation in planning; and enhancement of our "quality of life." We support independently owned and operated companies which are socially responsible, as well as co-operatives and public enterprises that distribute resources and control to more people through democratic participation.

7. FEMINISM AND GENDER EQUITY

We have inherited a social system based on male domination of politics and economics. We call for the replacement of the cultural ethics of domination and control with more cooperative ways of interacting that respect differences of opinion and gender. Human values such as equity between the sexes, interpersonal responsibility, and honesty must be developed with moral conscience. We should remember that the process that determines our decisions and actions is just as important as achieving the outcome we want.

8. RESPECT FOR DIVERSITY

We believe it is important to value cultural, ethnic, racial, sexual, religious and spiritual diversity, and to promote the development of respectful relationships across these lines.
We believe that the many diverse elements of society should be reflected in our organizations and decision-making bodies, and we support the leadership of people who have been traditionally closed out of leadership roles. We acknowledge and encourage respect for other life forms than our own and the preservation of biodiversity.

9. PERSONAL AND GLOBAL RESPONSIBILITY

We encourage individuals to act to improve their personal well-being and, at the same time, to enhance ecological balance and social harmony. We seek to join with people and organizations around the world to foster peace, economic justice, and the health of the planet.

10. FUTURE FOCUS AND SUSTAINABILITY

Our actions and policies should be motivated by long-term goals. We seek to protect valuable natural resources, safely disposing of or "unmaking" all waste we create, while developing a sustainable economics that does not depend on continual expansion for survival. We must counterbalance the drive for short-term profits by assuring that economic development, new technologies, and fiscal policies are responsible to future generations who will inherit the results of our actions.


Ten Key Values from other state and local Greens.??? There is no authoritative version of the Ten Key Values of the Greens.? The Ten Key Values are guiding principles that are adapted and defined to fit each state and local chapter.