I think this is the beginnings of an economy based on perpetual growth and fossil fuel energy running headlong into geological energy constraints. Basically I see an undulatory downward path for the rest of my life. From here out, I think any rallies in our economic condition are going to be met with spiking commodity prices that knock us right back down.
Joined: May 10, 2007 Posts: 3222 Location: Resiliency Farm
Posted: Mon Sep 29, 2008 4:35 pm Post subject: Simmons: McCain is energy illiterate
Hat tip LATOC:
Quote:
"John McCain is energy illiterate," Simmons is saying. "He's just witless about this stuff. As a lifelong Republican, I'm supporting Obama." A dozen oil and gas men sitting around a conference table in Lafayette, La., chuckle nervously as he continues. "McCain says, 'Oh, we're going to wean ourselves off foreign oil in four years and build 45 nuclear plants by 2030.' He doesn't have a clue."
Quote:
McCain's midsummer move to begin campaigning on a platform of more offshore drilling has only hardened Simmons's position. "What a hypocrite," says Simmons, who supported McCain's rival Mitt Romney in the primary - no surprise given Simmons's history with the Romney family. "Here's a man who for at least the past 15 years has strenuously, I mean strenuously, opposed offshore drilling. And now it's 'drill, drill, drill.' And he doesn't have any idea that we don't have any drilling rigs. Or that we don't have any idea of exactly where to drill." (As for McCain's running mate, Sarah Palin, Simmons says: "She's a very colorful person, but I don't think there's a scrap of evidence that she knows anything about energy.")
Joined: Sep 09, 2008 Posts: 153 Location: Hobbiton, but it's looking more like Mordor by the day...oh! hey Sauron, I didn't see you behind me!
Posted: Mon Sep 29, 2008 5:07 pm Post subject: Re: Simmons: McCain is energy illiterate
Great read Wis!
I feel liberated already from today's nay vote on the bill...the fact that Republican's can vote so resoundingly against there own administration and the content of that article give me hope there may be light at the end of the tunnel after all.
The question now is what is powering that light? _________________ "Two things are infinite: the universe and human stupidity; and I'm not sure about the universe."....Albert Einstein
Posted: Mon Sep 29, 2008 6:12 pm Post subject: Re: Simmons: McCain is energy illiterate
The mob is restless, and I suspect the ones who have just been supporting what they've been told to are getting wary. I can't say it enough - how much respect I have for the republicans and the few democrats that broke rank and stopped this bailout. When the mob thunders, the reasonable listen.
I'd really like to see a rigorous executive search for candidates. We need dream-team of knowledge, intelligence, skill and talent. Honestly I'm getting really worried at our prospects.
Delphis wrote:
Great read Wis!
I feel liberated already from today's nay vote on the bill...the fact that Republican's can vote so resoundingly against there own administration and the content of that article give me hope there may be light at the end of the tunnel after all.
Posted: Mon Sep 29, 2008 6:32 pm Post subject: Re: Simmons: McCain is energy illiterate
As for the quote above... no, we can't get off of foreign oil in 4 years or 30 years. But the nukes? Not sure why that's impossible. We built well over 45 nuclear plants in the 1970s. On a per capita basis, the French did that and more in a decade. The Brits and Japanese not far behind.
I think we've talked here about "Manhattan Project" and "Apollo Project" type projects. The projects that can be accomplished by throwing huge amounts of money and manpower at a task, and clearing the deck for them. Building a lot of nukes falls under that category.
The other category of projects would be things like getting people out of cars or desuburbination. Totally different problem. That is getting 100 or 200 million people pointed in the same direction. Far, far harder.
Of course, I wouldn't want the old Enron and Housing deregulating-duo of McCain and Gramm and their friends anywhere near the construction of nuclear facilities. I wouldn't trust them to build a sidewalk without graft, schemes, and government bailouts. _________________ At 1% annual growth, human bodies will incorporate every gram in the observable universe in approximately 10,170 years.
Posted: Mon Sep 29, 2008 9:13 pm Post subject: Re: Simmons: McCain is energy illiterate
lawnchair wrote:
As for the quote above... no, we can't get off of foreign oil in 4 years or 30 years. But the nukes? Not sure why that's impossible.
Even if it was desirable---WHICH IT ISN'T---the guy who's proposing this is the same guy who voted to spend $1+ trillion on an unnecessary Asian land war (one of many he wants to wage) AND $700 billion to bailout the Wall Street gamblers. Next he wants to hand over hundreds of billions to the nuclear industry. And this is what he calls "fiscal conservatism." It'd be laughable if it wasn't so tragic.
Wisconsin_cur, nice article. Very much worth reading, though anyone's who been here for very long will already know the main points. This is the most useful paragraph:
Matt Simmons wrote:
Simmons believes that a radical change in the way we live is inevitable. "We should basically be going back to creating a village economy, so that we really reduce the energy intensity of how we live," he says. "We need bigtime conservation, not feel-good conservation. Make things where they're used. You'll end long-distance commuting, and we have the tools to do that now with webcams. Grow food locally. Grow food in your backyard. If they're not commuting, people will have time to do that."
_________________ "A little stored food and Bob's your uncle." --TT
You cannot post new topics in this forum You cannot reply to topics in this forum You cannot edit your posts in this forum You cannot delete your posts in this forum You cannot vote in polls in this forum
News
Discussions
Resources
Members
Forum FAQ
Search
Usergroups
Profile
Log in to check your private messages
Log in
