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2008 Energy Bill

The Senate Must Have a Sense of Humor

By Field Palmer
Friday, December 14th, 2007

Editor's Note: Click here for an updated analysis of the situation surrounding a possible Energy Bill 2008.

Another bill with the best of intentions bit the dust this week (at least in its original form) while big oil added another notch on its belt, squeezing out every last drop of influence from partisan politics.

In the energy bill a measure for repealing tax breaks for large oil and gas companies and directing that funding to the renewable energy sector trembled and tumbled as the opposition won by a single vote.

But no worries, this filibuster is weak in the knees and buckled by letting the CAFE Standards slide through.

And what a God send that is!

I mean nothing - absolutely nothing - could prepare us for the reality of peak oil, the caustic tide of global warming or WWIII over oil like the CAFE Standards.

Just imagine the ramifications of our national fleet getting 35 mpg by 2020.

I know what you're thinking...

Who needs solar, geothermal, or wind power if your truck can get 22.2 mpg? Never mind the average light duty vehicle gets 21.6 mpg right now.

Exactly right! Bollocks to all that stuff.

Hell, over in Paris, according to the International Energy Agency, the average fuel consumption is 32.1 mpg.

But, by golly, we're Americans, we like our fries honky tonk style and we certainly don't need to learn from Europe.

That would be utterly foolish. I wouldn't be able to sleep at night knowing big oil wasn't getting the tax breaks they deserve, and, ye gods, even worse, the car in my driveway was a diesel powered European Ford Focus that ticks off 46 miles per gallon.

Why would I drive that when the new energy bill says I won't have to get 35 mpg until 2020?

Wow, talk about progress...

Now before you start drafting your “this is liberal propaganda” e-mails, rest assured, my only goal here is a stronger nation. I could care less which side of the aisle enables this. Bottom line: A stronger America is an America that isn’t held hostage by oil. Period.

And that ain’t propaganda. That’s patriotism.

By the way, here’s a list of all the Senators that decided to play games with our future, and continue our dangerous addiction to oil. They can also be found at www.senate.gov.

Senator Alexander from Tennessee

Senator Allard from Colorado

Senator Barrasso from Wyoming

Senator Bennett from Utah

Senator Bond from Missouri

Senator Brownback from Kansas

Senator Bunning from Kentucky

Senator Burr from North Carolina

Senator Chambliss from Georgia

Senator Coburn from Oklahoma

Senator Cochran from Mississippi

Senator Corker from Tennessee

Senator Cornyn from Texas

Senator Craig from Idaho

Senator Crapo from Idaho

Senator DeMint from South Carolina

Senator Dole from North Carolina

Senator Domenici from New Mexico

Senator Ensign from Nevada

Senator Enzi from Wyoming

Senator Graham from South Carolina

Senator Gregg from New Hampshire

Senator Hagel from Nebraska

Senator Hutchison from Texas

Senator Inhofe from Oklahoma

Senator Isakson from Georgia

Senator Kyl from Arizona

Senator Landrieu from Louisiana

Senator Lott from Mississippi

Senator Martinez from Florida

Senator McConnell from Kentucky

Senator Roberts from Kansas

Senator Sessions from Alabama

Senator Shelby from Alabama

Senator Specter from Pennsylvania

Senator Stevens from Alaska

Senator Sununu from New Hampshire

Senator Vitter from Louisiana

Senator Voinovich from Ohio

Senator Warner from Virginia

Introducing, ladies and gentleman, the class of 2008—Big Oil’s Puppets.

You vote ‘em…we stoke ‘em.

Keep your hopes in the future but your sense in the present,

Field Palmer

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There is no one single solution to today's energy crisis. However, the combination of all viable renewable energy resources, coupled with energy efficiency, conservation and smart grid development will not only lead us to energy independence and a cleaner, more sustainable energy infrastructure — but also to what will soon prove to be the greatest investment opportunity of the 21st Century.

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Comment by Pat Maloney on 2007-12-15

After watching a TV program about GM's electric vehicle in the 90's and how it got scrapped this article on "big Oil" hardly surprises me...people had best start to realize that our economy exists because of the environment not the other way around: as nature corrects our destructive ways the costs will grow exponentially. People who think technolgy will defeat nature are not ignorant...they are plain STUPID!

Comment by Art on 2007-12-15

Dynosaurs were big and dominant and likely felt invincible some time ago -
North America is still full of them.
There is no appreciation as to how technology will not stop to advance and eventually swallow those big fat 70's brawn-brains.

Comment by Benton Bain on 2007-12-15

Mr. Field Palmer,
Can your diesel powered European Ford Focus that ticks off 46 miles per gallon pull a 3500 pound sawmill with gas, blades, chainsaws, food, camping gear and a crew of 4 people with all their gear needed for week through mud up to your ass in the jungles in Panama?
My Jeep has to!

Comment by iwantcleanair on 2007-12-15

Hey folks... lets not forget that Sen. McCain abstained from this vote. He would have been the magic #60 to close the big oil giveaway.

Like it or not this was a strictly partisan vote. 39 of The Big Oil 40 are Republicans.

Comment by Jay Waggoner on 2007-12-15

You forget the items were by state some states do not have the capitol nor the resources to comply with the bill as written. I agree we do not have a meaningful energy policy but this energy bill was flawed from the beginning.

Comment by J. Keeley on 2007-12-15

I am surprised that you are so partison and not concerned with what is good for the country. Oil is not going to go away instantly and green is not going to arise instantly. There will be a logical transition as technology progresses. I am sure you are aware that fuel cells have been flying in space ever since the shuttle first took off. They are still not really commercialized.
We need to exploit our own oil assets untill the green cycle achieves technological superiority.
Then we will all be green. Solar panels, solar windows, solar roof tiles, geothermal, it is all coming.
Be patient. We are an incredible country. Will all this take place under the new religios law of the Muslims? Will there be a nation called America that needs power?

Comment by Don Giles on 2007-12-15

You are right on with your assessment of the good-old-boy group in the Senate.
I have been working in Eastern Europe for 18 months and over there a big engine is 2.0 liters. They think we are absolutely nuts to drive 5 and 6 liter powered cars. Fuel in England is approaching $10.00/gallon. I know, people blame it on taxes, etc., but even the relatively poor countries are paying $4.00/ gallon.
The Senate is so short-term in their thinking that they will never be able to solve the energy problem. We need a vast amount of money thrown at the renewable field to get the solution. (Perhaps we could use the millions per day that the Iraqi war is costing.) We could learn lots about how to run a country from almost any of the others.

Comment by Richard Bullock- Dynamic Strategies & Plans on 2007-12-15

Imposing CAFE standards will only DELAY the passing of our dependence on petroleum based gasoline and diesel fuels. CAFE also has the effect of delaying the economical (non-subsidized) adoption of alternate energy and fuel sources by reducing the day that oil prices are too high vs alternate sources. In other words, if the market was allowed to operate we would see the asendence of alternate transprotation fuels sooner rather than later... and with fewer distortions to other markets. These will be seen shortly as the effects of corn ethanol impact the economics of human and animal "fuels", thatis ourfood. But, you have no reason to fear the CAFE will be rejected in the current elecltion season (hysterical) climate. The allure of "doing something" is too strong for our political solons to let cost benefit analyses get in the way.... particularly when the issue is as critical as this one.

Comment by Bruce Bardes on 2007-12-15

What Field Palmer said is true. However, how he said it is blatantly political -- just as bad as the actions in the U.S. Senate.

Comment by chaarles o'malley on 2007-12-15

I have been taking your review for over a year and enjoy its thinking. We in europe have long despaired of the ability of the US to wean itself off oil and it is good to see there are voices crying stop.while in the US lately the NPR was also a voice of sanity.I just need to buy the right shares but the falling dollar is a problem

Comment by Ray Johnson on 2007-12-15

now I can thank 40 men for not bowing to the idiotcy that Nancy Pelosi and Harry Reid put together. Why is everything always put out as an either/or proposition. We need both oil exploration and renewables. And neither one should be forced to pay for the other. Do you know how we could get this done without all this idiotcy? The congress could mandate without too much problem the increased use of renewables by government agencies in all manners in which energy is used. But no, let's play politics and make people look bad. Let's engage in more futile gestures(which this was since Bush had promised to veto it even before it hit the floor). It is time to grow up and act like men in dealing with the energy problems and infastructure problems of this country but the democrats simply want to get more power and wait until 2009 to do it. That is a monumental error because even if the house and senate go more demcrat it will still be two years before whatever they do takes effect and another two before those effects are felt. Time is awasting and the democrat leadership is perfectly willing to do because all they really want is power and not change.

Comment by Jessee Toler on 2007-12-15

I thought the article was great. We need to know when our congressmen are doing us. Glad that my states congressmen were not on that list. Kind of showes that we are not just a bunch of stupid hillbillies.

Comment by FG on 2007-12-15

Field, you are so right. Our gov
is something ELSE. Maybe I'm just
noticing their 'errors' more now
that I'm older. I'm really ashamed
of who we elect, and it's all about
MONEY........ours.

Comment by Ed La France on 2007-12-15

There is an election coming- and I would expect the GOP is going to be shredded. As George Will says- they will have to pick it up with tweezers. Bush and Cheney and the GOP just don't get it. For the first time in my life I am voting straight democratic. As an independent I have never voted a straight party ticket. A dissatisfied registered independent

Comment by Mark Sprague on 2007-12-15

As one of those left wing pinkos from up here in Canada, let me say you continue to tell the truth, an anomaly in your business.

I doubt we are going to find our way out of this morass we have created; but at least we should go down fighting.

Thank you once again.

Comment by Bob Miller on 2007-12-15

The whole point of the standards is to reduce emissions and increase MPG's to lessen our dependance on oil? Or is it to give our failing auto industry more time to catch up with the rest of the world?
I drive a 10 year-old Suburu with all-wheel drive and 175K miles on it that gets 30 MPG consistantly. Toyota is building plants in this country while our automakers are building plants outside the country.
The US auto industry has ignored the reality of the competition of foreign car makers for years (as has our government) when it comes to economy and reliability. American made trucks and automobiles could have the same reliablity and economy if the average american hadn't been convinced by glitzy advertising that bigger is better. 4 wheel drive pickups and SUVs have a place but not for everyday use by wannabe cowboys and soccer moms.
The government wouldn't have to impose standards if auto-makers had concetrated on being competitive with the import market and the bottom line (profit).

Comment by theodore malnick on 2007-12-16

HOW can we americans get ahead if we have those gov't idiots with their heads in the sand when it comes to "PLAIN FACTS OF TECHNOLOGIES THAT WORK BUT ARE KEPT AWAY FROM THE USERS" because the oil BIGGIES dont want to lose their "GRIPS"!!!!!!!

Comment by jim castleman on 2007-12-16

Open up our own resources until the US gets alterative metheds and quit whinning!

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