Denial won't solve our energy shortfall

Sweden gets 46 - 49 % of its electricity from "renewable sources" - but that is for the most part large hydro - just under 1 percent comes from wind, and upping that number has been incredibly difficult. The rest of Sweden's power comes from nuclear, which definitely has its downsides.

The liberal enviro's only seem to approve of wind and solar energy. They have stopped any hydro, nuclear, drilling, or mining whenever they can. They claim that hydro is bad for fish. Nuclear is just evil (although France seems to have no problem with it). Drilling is ugly and ruins the landscape. Mining is just unacceptiable. So I guess we have to have cars with windmills on top of them. Our homes will be teepees with solar panels on them. Basically we need to go back to the 1600's. I have concluded that these people are so brainwashed by the left that they are a lost cause.

And Barf (pronouncing Barack evokes this image)practices what he preaches, right?

FAT CHANCE!

Thank god that a newspaper had the guts to come out and just say the truth about how the republicans are behaving.

Well I think Nobama should also decree that people who are overweight should just eat less or only eat lettuce. I don't need this moron telling me how much I need to drive and in what kind of car. He is from the same party that rejected nuclear energy, the same source most of the rest of the world use as an alternative source. dajokerman, that's the truth about how the Dem are acting. I guess you don't read any real newspapers.

To equate Obama's "Just roll over" with Churchill's "Fight to the end" is ludicrous. But, I guess Obama-messiah can do no wrong!

The Dems were elected in 2004 to solve our energy problems - our energy problems are now worse. In the last two years, Congress has accomplished nothing expect "overseeing" the Executive branch. Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me!

The only energy policy the Republicans can think of is drilling in Anwar and providing Big Oil with tax breaks. They constantly ridicule any Democratic attempt to push alternative energy sources as "pie in the sky". They have been doing this since the oil crisis of 1973 and they have allowed this country to stick it's head in the sand ever since. Big Oil has bought and paid for the Republican Party since 1973 and they certainly got their money's worth. Meanwhile the American people have to deal with the consequences of ignoring the energy crisis for 35 years now thanks mainly to the Republican Party.

you guys can drive whatever you like and use all the energy you like. And pay for it out of your own pockets, not mine. I'm sick of tax dollars paying for oil subsidies even with the huge profits being made. Any of this "new" drilling will be taxpayer subsidized too. I can guarantee you that.
I pay less cause I use my brain. I live close to work, we have one car and I carpool. So drive all you want- just realize you're gonna pay for it.

Ray-Ban wrote:

The only energy policy the Republicans can think of is drilling in Anwar and providing Big Oil with tax breaks. They constantly ridicule any Democratic attempt to push alternative energy sources as "pie in the sky". They have been doing this since the oil crisis of 1973 and they have allowed this country to stick it's head in the sand ever since. Big Oil has bought and paid for the Republican Party since 1973 and they certainly got their money's worth. Meanwhile the American people have to deal with the consequences of ignoring the energy crisis for 35 years now thanks mainly to the Republican Party.

So if Congress is responsible for making the laws of the land, how is it that you are blaming Republicans when Democrats have held control in the Senate for 56% and the House for 67% of the past +35 years?

Need to get your facts straight and stop the retoric.

Obama said that he was unhappy that the price of gas increased so quickly. He isn't opposed to the high price.
It's obvious he wanted the price increase to hit home AFTER the fall election. Vote Republican.

UMBC Alumni wrote:

<quoted text>
So if Congress is responsible for making the laws of the land, how is it that you are blaming Republicans when Democrats have held control in the Senate for 56% and the House for 67% of the past +35 years?
Need to get your facts straight and stop the retoric.

The difference is that the American people are waking up to the fact that today's Republican core philosophies of "less government regulation and lower taxes on US corporations" have resulted in the raping of the American consumer. Republicans used to be about fiscally responsible budgets, prudent foreign policy decisions, etc. The last thirty years has seen Republicans sell out to US corporate interests at the expense of the American citizen. They will get what's coming to them in November. I can't wait.

city resident wrote:

you guys can drive whatever you like and use all the energy you like. And pay for it out of your own pockets, not mine. I'm sick of tax dollars paying for oil subsidies even with the huge profits being made. Any of this "new" drilling will be taxpayer subsidized too. I can guarantee you that.
I pay less cause I use my brain. I live close to work, we have one car and I carpool. So drive all you want- just realize you're gonna pay for it.

I'm also sick of seeing my cash go to corrupting oil companies and to monarchies in the middle east every time I have to buy gas. I can't wait to buy a plug-in hybrid or an EV and have my cash going to American solar and wind power producers.

I couldn't agree with you more, it's ridiculous that we are indirectly and directly subsidizing big oil and foreign despots instead of sensible energy and jobs creation in the U.S.

Larry,

Independent TX voter

Forgot to include the link re: BTL production in the first post:

http://www.shell.com/home/content/media/news_...

My apologies.

Ray-Ban wrote:

<quoted text>
The difference is that the American people are waking up to the fact that today's Republican core philosophies of "less government regulation and lower taxes on US corporations" have resulted in the raping of the American consumer. Republicans used to be about fiscally responsible budgets, prudent foreign policy decisions, etc. The last thirty years has seen Republicans sell out to US corporate interests at the expense of the American citizen. They will get what's coming to them in November. I can't wait.

Your original posting talks about how the Republicans have not pushed for an energy policy. Whether they did or not is irrelevant since the majority lawmaking party was the Democrats. It takes many years to enact policy from thoughts to actions that can be measured by results. For the past 35 years, where have the Democrats been? They have not enacted any policy to address the US energy needs. In the meantime, Democrats have taken a course of pushing forward a policy of dependency on the government (socialism). How'd that work out in Russia?

This will be an interesting election season, but not quite sure if it will go the way you want it like to.

Sorry, but you are just plain wrong here. Time and time again the democrats have pushed for greater fuel efficiency standards while the corrupt, Republicans listened to big oil lobbyists , creating fuel efficiency loopholes and blocking efforts to implement greater fuel efficiency standards.

The fact of the matter is that Americans would not be hurting so much because of high gas prices if the Republicans had not been bought and paid for by big oil.

Furthermore, it's democrats in charge of cities like Austin that have been helpful in creating the wind power boom in West Texas.

And what's with the whole asinine "socialist" lingo? The Cold War ended 20 years ago, we're in a new century, and we definitely won't be solving our problems by applying outdated ideological constructs.

Pushing American solar and wind power has nothing to do with the left-right meme, instead it's a duty to do right by our workers and by the American people.

Larry,

Independent TX voter

UMBC Alumni wrote:

<quoted text>
Your original posting talks about how the Republicans have not pushed for an energy policy. Whether they did or not is irrelevant since the majority lawmaking party was the Democrats. It takes many years to enact policy from thoughts to actions that can be measured by results. For the past 35 years, where have the Democrats been? They have not enacted any policy to address the US energy needs. In the meantime, Democrats have taken a course of pushing forward a policy of dependency on the government (socialism). How'd that work out in Russia?
This will be an interesting election season, but not quite sure if it will go the way you want it like to.

Mark wrote:

Well I think Nobama should also decree that people who are overweight should just eat less or only eat lettuce. I don't need this moron telling me how much I need to drive and in what kind of car. He is from the same party that rejected nuclear energy, the same source most of the rest of the world use as an alternative source. dajokerman, that's the truth about how the Dem are acting. I guess you don't read any real newspapers.

Gee Mark, I'd be real interested in learning how you plan to drive your car using nuclear energy. Please share.

UMBC Alumni wrote:

<quoted text>
Your original posting talks about how the Republicans have not pushed for an energy policy. Whether they did or not is irrelevant since the majority lawmaking party was the Democrats. It takes many years to enact policy from thoughts to actions that can be measured by results. For the past 35 years, where have the Democrats been? They have not enacted any policy to address the US energy needs. In the meantime, Democrats have taken a course of pushing forward a policy of dependency on the government (socialism). How'd that work out in Russia?
This will be an interesting election season, but not quite sure if it will go the way you want it like to.

The point I am trying to make is that Americans, including many Democrats, were fooled by the Republican Party and US Corporations into believing that US corporate interests are the same as our interests. The old 'what's best for GM is best for America.' Well, we have seen the results of this policy when we look at our government's failure to address the energy crisis (for thirty five years now), allowing our health care system to become the most expensive per capita in the world and still having close to 50 million Americans uninsured, starting wars in far off places simply because we need the oil. We are tired paying for a morally bankrupt political philosophy the Republican Party represents. Americans need something to feel good about. Go Obama.

RRT-MD wrote:

To equate Obama's "Just roll over" with Churchill's "Fight to the end" is ludicrous. But, I guess Obama-messiah can do no wrong!
The Dems were elected in 2004 to solve our energy problems - our energy problems are now worse. In the last two years, Congress has accomplished nothing expect "overseeing" the Executive branch. Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me!

Yes, the Dems were supposed to deal with the high cost associated with our increasing utility bills. That promise fell flat, right along with them not dealing with the oil prices.

UMBC Alumni wrote:

<quoted text>
So if Congress is responsible for making the laws of the land, how is it that you are blaming Republicans when Democrats have held control in the Senate for 56% and the House for 67% of the past +35 years?
Need to get your facts straight and stop the retoric.

They're called vetoes and filibusters. Majorities don't always win in our system. Don't they teach basic civics at UMBC??

Whiners wrote:

<quoted text>
They're called vetoes and filibusters. Majorities don't always win in our system. Don't they teach basic civics at UMBC??

Yes, and it's usually because the Dems like to throw in a little PORK into the mix which has nothing whatsoever to do with the issue being voted on.