Both the Republican candidates claim that the VP nominee has energy experience because Alaska produces nearly 20% of the U.S. domestic supply of energy. They both have made this claim several times on the campaign trail. First of all, even if this were true, which it is not, this fact does not qualify the Republican VP as an energy expert any more than the fact that she can see Russia from her front door qualifies her as a foreign policy expert.
Alaksa's share of domestic energy production was 3.5% according to the official figures kept by the U.S. Energy Information Administration. And as far as all the energy CONSUMED in the U.S. and not just produced here, then Alaska's production accounted for only 2.4%
AGAIN WE THE PEOPLE, WITH OUR ECONOMY IN THE HOLE THAT IS, SHOULD NOT CONSIDER ELECTING TWO PEOPLE WHO CAN'T DO ANY BETTER THAN THIS WITH NUMBERS AND/OR BASIC TRUTH TELLING. THE LAST THING WE NEED IN OFFICE ARE DUMB AND DUMBER--MORE OF THE SAME.
source:
http://www.factcheck.org/elections-2008/energetically_wrong.html
Manufacturing jobs are highly subject to energy costs and labor costs. Where labor and energy can be had for less, the likelihood those jobs can move elsewhere is highly probably as we've seen in the past few decades. Service and engineering jobs that are location dependent are more likely to endure.
It is without debate that the nuclear energy industry will continue to expand and advance, if not in the United States, then elsewhere in the world. An adversarial business atmosphere toward nuclear energy will prompt the industry to do what all global businesses do -- go where the money is.
It would be a great tragedy indeed if the recent tide of change in the nuclear industry was reversed and America's intellectual base for nuclear energy was lost to China and France.
The recent article in USA News and World Report (http://www.usnews.com/articles/education/2008/08/14/the-new-hot-job-nuclear-engineering.html) covers the resurgence of nuclear engineering students in universities. This is encouraging news as it shows that young people now see the potential of nuclear energy to contribute toward a thriving economy and career opportunity.
The article makes this point in closing:
Even if the American nuclear renaissance isn't fully realized, universities have a role to play in the burgeoning global market for nuclear energyâ€"a force even the U.S. political machine can't stop. The United States still has some of the best training in nuclear safety standards of any country in the world, and foreign students comprise almost 50 percent of the enrollment in some U.S. engineering departments. These international students are expected to return home with some of world's top training.
In my opinion that is the whole point of the article. We must recognize that peaceful civilian nuclear energy is here to stay. The less we understand, accept, and embrace that reality, the more economic uncertainty and loss of scientific credibility we will risk.
Sarah Palin requisitioned quite a bit of money for Alaska's aerial shooting of wolves program. According to the Defenders of Wildlife Action Fund, she is an enemy to animals there.
(Proudly cross-posted at Clintonistas for Obama)
I live in Orange County, CA. I'm used to seeing scary Republicans that care nothing about environmental justice. But of all the crazy Republicans here, none can be crazier than "Crazy Dana" Rohrabacher. He's consistently voted against the best interests of our people and our planet, and it's time we do something about this. That's why I'm so glad to see some good friends of ours take real action for real change.
Follow me after the flip for the details...
Read More »Here is the truth about renewable energy: It can be established locally on site at your home. You do not have to pay large monthly heating, cooling and electrical bills. You can create that own energy with solar panels and in some cases (depending upon where you live) with wind turbines. You can live off the grid. Over 200,000 Americans currently live off the grid and that number has increased exponentially by 1/3 since 2005. With renewable energy such as the sun, you don’t need your local electric company to provide you with electricity—in fact you can even have a situation where you sell some of your surplus electricity back to them.
It is most likely this fact of life that has finally gotten the big boys like GE off their butts and into promoting renewable energy more than any altruistic feelings for the planet. They want to tap into and control that market before it gets completely away from them.
Read More »
(Cross-posted at MyDD and Clintonistas for Obama)
You know, I love Jerome Armstrong. I really do. When so many of us Hillary Clinton Democrats were being bashed around everywhere else, he provided us with a warm & welcoming home over at MyDD. I'll always appreicate him for that. Oh yeah, and he's wicked smart as well!
But you know what, Barack Obama is our Democratic nominee. I've made peace with that. Oh yes, and I really like his energy & environment plan. And while I agree with Jerome on many other matters, I just have to disagree with him on this.
Read More »
It seems that today is a good day for the Fed, as they have decided to pass sweeping reform to get rid of predatory lending practices by implementing a whole slew of new lending laws that protect consumers. The AP has the full story. To me though this is great, but really it is too late. I think that the Hill should be holding the Fed accountable for allowing these practices to go on in the first place. Bernanke and the other insanely smart economists should have seen this coming. I mean the rest of the economy Read More »
On June 26th in response to ongoing calls to allow oil drilling off the coast of the United States and in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, Democratic members of Congress offered "Use It or Lose It" legislation to mandate that oil companies either drill on federal land they have leased or relinquish the right to do so. Currently, oil companies have dormant leases to over 68 million acres in the western United States and Alaska that are available for immediate drilling and exploration that, according to Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (D-Md) "contains over 100 billion barrels of oil".
While the vote was 223 for and 195 against, it failed to reach the two-thirds majority needed for passage under shortcut parliamentary rules. For the record, all Democratic members of the Pennsylvania delegation voted for "Use It or Lose It" while all Pennsylvania Republicans voted against with the exception of Rep. John Peterson who did not vote. Read More »
On Friday July 4th we will celebrate Independence Day marking 232 years since our founding fathers declared that the United States of America would be an independent nation. Back in 1776, John Adams, Thomas Jefferson, Benjamin Franklin and others showed courage, leadership and vision by drafting the Declaration of Independence creating a democratic government based on freedom and rights for the common people.
Now, 232 years later, we need to see the same courage, leadership and vision from our elected leaders to declare independence again. In 2008, the independence we need to declare is not from tyrannical leaders and an oppressive government but energy independence from foreign sources that have too much control over a product that is so vital to our nation. Read More »
Tim Walberg says we need to drill for more oil. That's the central theme of his energy plan. But he says he wants more than just drilliing for oil. For instance, there's this press release from June 5th:
Congressman Walberg has co-sponsored legislation to provide incentives for solar, wind, cellulosic ethanol, bio-diesel and energy conservation. He also supports an increase in domestic energy production through carbon-free nuclear power and clean-coal technology. He has co-sponsored legislation that would encourage conservation with tax credits for green buildings and legislation that would spark a revolution in clean hydrogen technology.
Did you catch that? He didn't put too much emphasis on it, but it was there. Tim Walberg says he supports energy conservation, too.
More in the extended entry...
Read More »The Choice Is Clear
CHALLENGE: Providing Immediate Financial Relief for Families This Summer
OBAMA
Supports a second round of rebate checks to help families offset the cost of $4.00 gas this summer.
Worth: $300 per family
(Obama Second Stimulus Plan)
MCCAIN
Proposed a gas tax gimmick that would take out $10 billion from our under-funded national highway trust fund and give it to the oil companies, while likely driving up the price of gas at the pump. Worth: $28
(Tax Policy Center)
______________________________________________
CHALLENGE: Green Collar Jobs
OBAMA: Comprehensive plan for renewables, fuel economy and energy efficiency will help create as many as 5 million new green jobs.
MCCAIN: No green jobs plan.
__________________________________________________
CHALLENGE: Making America’s Economy Vibrant and Competitive in the Long Haul
OBAMA: Supports an Apollo-scale investment of $150 billion over 10 years to jumpstart renewable energy technology development and deployment.
MCCAIN: Has repeatedly opposed new investments and incentives in for renewable energy. Until this week.
_______________________________________________________
CHALLENGE: The Next 10 Years of Oil
OBAMA: 3 million barrels of oil savings. The plan will reduce U.S. oil consumption by about 3 million barrels of oil per day by 2018.
(Obama Energy Plan)
(McClatchy News Service)
St. Petersburg Times
Craig Pittman
pub. June 20, 2008
"Hurricane Katrina ripped into Louisiana and Mississippi in 2005, destroying 115 oil platforms, significantly damaging 52 more and setting adrift 19. More than 7-million gallons of petroleum products spilled, according to the U.S. Coast Guard. By comparison, in 1989 the Exxon Valdez spilled 11-million gallons in Alaska's Prince William Sound." Read More »
Once in a while I stumble across a site that is so wonderful and encouraging in terms of what people are doing on the behalf of Democracy, our nation and the world that I want to grab everyone I meet by the lapels and say GO HERE. Wait until you see all the great things that the people of the USA are doing.
There are signs of poliitical life all over our nation. People are really standing up and saying no and voting in their state legislatures in support of their no.
The New Rules Project, Designing Rules as if Communiity Matters, is one of these sites. New Rules is a project of the Institute for Local Self-Reliance.
I am not a libertarian, but I am a Democrat who agrees with about 50% of what Libertarians advocate while being strongly opposed to the other 50%. To me most of the information on this site stresses local self-reliance within the context of a government that protects the people and provides oversight.
http://www.newrules.org/index.htm
New Rules is a project of the Institute for Local Self-Reliance
Honda rolls out a new zero-emission car
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/25190604/
Toyota develops a new fuel cell hybrid that can travel more than twice the distance of predecessor
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/25004758/
59 Continental is re-engineered to work on an electric battery
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/24932643/
Sanyo, VW to develop batteries for hybrids
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/24860606/
DOES IT SINK IN THAT MOST OF THIS TECHNOLOGY IS NOT AMERICAN?
This is because of the oil drenched climate of Washington DC and the oil/war profiteers who run this administration who discourage technology that moves away in a big hurry from technology that feeds the oil monster. Don't believe the Republican lies that such technology is "years" away. It is HERE NOW TODAY and there are over 200,000 Americans living off the grid to prove it.
SAVE AMERICA AND VOTE NO REPUBLICAN IN NOVEMBER 2008
Take your blood pressure pills if you need them, and read this column from the Kansas City Star. This is the PERFECT example of the kind of right-wing, short sighted thinking that has gotten us to where we are today.
OF COURSE George Bush and Dick Cheney are promoting off shore drilling: their family fortunes are tied to oil and have been for generations.
Quote from this article "I know that it would take time to get to this oil and bring it to market but just the fact that we are taking action will result in lower oil prices in the near term. The latest Rasmussen poll shows that 67% of Americans favor more drilling."
MY RESPONSE: Take time? yes it would take time--at least 5 years AND the sour crude extracted would be more expensive to refine and Americans would STILL be paying $5 to $8 bucks a gallon for it. Rasmussen? Are you kidding? Rasmussen Reports is owned by Scott Rasmussen, a right-wing republican. who is an evangelical christian and president of the Ocean Grove Camp Meeting Association a controversial organizaton that has raised concerns among the gay community because of its stances.
Read More »Mark Udall and Barack Obama have the political experience to bring about a comprehensive energy strategy for Colorado and the United States.
Recently, Coloradopols.com posted a discussion about a voting realignment in Colorado. Maybe November's election will make Colorado a blue state.
Kathleen Sebelius, the Governor of Kansas, promoted Kansas as a leader in renewable energy at the American Wind Energy Association's Wind Power 2008 Conference. In her remarks at the conference, she cited a poll by Land Institute which showed 3 out of 4 Kansans want a comprehensive energy strategy.
In Colorado, Ken Salazar advocates renewable energy investment as a means for Americans to achieve independence. He thinks that tax incentives are the answer.
Wayne Allard will be vacating his U.S. Senate Seat. Mark Udall is the Democratic candidate for that position.
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