Mr. Brown, we are all ignorant, just ignorant in different subjects. You are ignorant in more subjcects than anyone I know, personaly, or on the internet. You have posted more disiformation in this topic. You must be a fast typist to do that. I’ll concede that one of your ignoraces is not about how to type.

Now for the rest of the poor soles in here, slow down, and post one of your ignorant ideas, or beliefs at a time. and read the responses to it. YOU may find that you will learn something.

To Mr.Mosely, from Staunton: Sir, you are right on Target. To your detaractors, woe upon them. We have more shale oil that can be mined starting tomorrow that is located on Federal Government lands, THAN THE NEAR EAST COMBINED. The KNOWN resources is 3.500,000,000,000 barrels. There may be MORE.

It is currently being mined on a small scale by three different companies. It is extracted by using the steam pressure method. The current cost of extraction is a few cents under $20.00 a barrel after pumping into a truck to carry it away. Large scale mining could start now, and cities could be built for workers to live while building pipelines to the refineries and away from them for national distribution. Millions of high paying jobs would be created. That all would take about 10 years. The econy would prosper.

Our other choice is to do nothing, or something as silly as growing grass in the median of freeways.

Personally, I don’t care if gasoline goes to #30.00 a gallon. It won’t affect my living standard at all.

Incidentally, my home in Southern Illinois is heated by photovoltiac solar panels, and cooled by geothermal pumps that are powered by my solar panels..

You decide what is best for you.

Ok Rich

You are a kool-aid drinking, ignorant, arrogant nanny state loving bastard.

OK… My bad. So much for respectful debate. Enjoy yourselves.

Rich,

I’ve heard good things about Kucinich, my sister and brother-in-law were very much in favor of him.Too bad he didn’t get farther in this.Thanks for the info.

Johnh,

Did you get your geothermal installed by someone local? I’ve been looking into it, but it’s not in the budget at this time.Ditto PV panels,although I wonder if wind power might work better for our location.We’re trying to implement the more cost-effective things first, because,as for most of us,money is in limited supply.

As far as growing grass in the median, that’s what is happening now,isn’t it? I think all Rich is saying, and me too, is to use that space in a more productive fashion.I am really into accomplishing more than one objective with a minimum of effort, so that seems like a good idea to me.I landscape with fruit bushes and nut trees-pretty, but more importantly to me, productive.It takes the same amount of effort to plant and maintain, but with the added bonus of a useful crop,for wildlife and my family.I use rasberries to screen one side of our chicken pen- fruit,shade, and additional predator deterrence from the thorns,all from one effort.Efficiency is a beautiful thing

As for the politics, I believe that to whom much is given,much is required.Responsibility is a big part of that.Too many politicians seem to be accountable only to their biggest contributors, instead of the taxpayers who are paying their salaries and for the lavish benefits they enjoy.Until this changes, the system won’t work like it’s supposed to.Having civil discourse to brainstorm solutions is a start.Name-calling and accusations don’t solve anything and only serve to deepen the divide and come across as petty and small-minded.I’m sure that wasn’t anyone’s intent.That’s one reason I don’t care for politics-people seem to focus more on the differences than trying to find common ground to build on.As Americans,we have many of the same concerns and probably even goals, but our perspectives are so different that we don’t realize it.

You are right TB. Garrison is a total idiot. Yes, Mr. Bush and the republicans controlled for 6 years, but further Mr. Moron. Then maybe you will finally shut your mouth about blaming George Bush and the republicans. Let me also add garrison, it was the majority of democrats in 2002 and 2005 that gave them the majority of votes to kill both energy bills george Bush proposed to drill in ANWAR and build newer refineris so you really don’t know your history do you. I suggest you research your material before you shoot your mouth off as liberals tend to do without thinking.

Drill the Wasteland, Not the Consumers
Media’s ‘green is good’ philosophy strangles our energy policy.

By Dan Gainor
The Boone Pickens Free Market Fellow
Business & Media Institute
5/14/2008 3:07:47 PM

Angry about the price of gas? It used to be you could simply blame Bill Clinton.

In December 1995, Clinton helped make sure our margin for error with oil supplies would one day be no margin at all. Clinton vetoed a budget that authorized drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. Cowardly congressmen refused to overturn that veto that placed our oil security firmly in the hands of nations that hate our guts.

Just this week, Congress repeated its mistake. According to the Associated Press, the Senate “rejected a Republican energy plan that calls for opening an Alaska wildlife refuge and some offshore waters to oil development.” The left doesn’t want to drill for oil because of fears about the climate. Our candidates didn’t do well in the vote. Both Sens. Barack Obama (D-Ill.) and Hillary Clinton (D-N.Y.) voted against drilling. Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.), who recently said “global warming presents a test of foresight, of political courage,” was AWOL for the vote.

It’s estimated bringing that oil to market would take 10 years. Thanks to Clinton I, we are unable to access ANWR’s vast oil reserves. Now we are out of luck until the next vote. Those reserves are estimated at up to 16 billion barrels of oil. Oil is trading at about $125 a barrel. That’s potentially $2 trillion in wealth held hostage by stupidity. Oil experts claim we need to develop just about 2,000 out of 19 million acres to get at the oil. That works out to $1 billion an acre.

CBS “60 Minutes” reporter Lesley Stahl took a trip to the desolate area and showed it’s the kind of place that makes Siberia look like Miami Beach. That hasn’t stopped more than a decade of propaganda campaigns portraying something akin to an Alaskan Eden and warning of threats to wildlife.

Such stonewalling works in Washington. Politicians won’t lead when they risk being seen as anti- the media’s crusade du jour. Lately, the media pound us with the “green is good” mantra. Anyone who dares challenge it is called a “denier” or a tool of oil interests, as opposed to someone who is just worried about our economy and our energy needs.

The current Congress and all three presidential candidates show us how foolishly they pander for votes and refuse to fix any of our energy problems. McCain and Hillary Clinton are pushing for a frivolous gas holiday. It would be great to get a tax break. But this isn’t a pardon; it’s a brief stay of execution.

Obama opposes the holiday because it conflicts with his position to increase energy taxes. Unsurprisingly, Clinton talks out of both sides of her mouth on this – promoting the gas tax holiday while vowing to hike taxes on oil companies. The latter is the Obama plan – tax oil companies. The “windfall profits” tax would assault oil firms because they are large. Though they have average profit percentages, their huge overall numbers elicit outrage from politicians and the media, who rant without the necessary context.

All three candidates have global warming plans that are similarly foolish and would further harm our energy future. The Wall Street Journal called McCain’s plan “Obama-lite” because it’s just a little less devastating. McCain has risked conservative support with his push to return carbon emissions to 1990 levels by 2020 and achieve “at least a reduction of sixty percent below 1990 levels by the year 2050.”

Al Gore, the patron saint of climate change, would have cut U.S. emissions to just 7 percent below 1990 levels in the failed Kyoto treaty. Even that would have cost billions of dollars and millions of jobs. The McCain/Obama/Clinton idea of emissions limits would mandate restrictions on energy use like we’ve never seen.

ANWR’s trillions of dollars worth of oil are a particular conundrum for the candidates. On one hand, that oil helps push America toward a fantasy of “energy independence.” On the other, it offends environmentalists who oppose drilling and use of oil.

Meanwhile, gas prices continue to rise. And the congressional “solution” to the gas crisis is to stop filling the Strategic Petroleum Reserve – just 70,000 barrels of oil a day. The U.S. uses about 21 million barrels each day. That’s an energy solution only Nero – or Bill Clinton – could love.

Wow. I think someone has been listening to Hannity just a bit too much. How do I know this? Because I’ve been listening to him for about the past 2 months and everything I’ve read from the right wingers here sounds word for word what he’s been preaching. Rich, you have my sincerest admiration for your patience with such ignorance and arrogance, with a dash of stupidity. I certainly could not contain myself as well as you have. Garrison, I still don’t know how you put up with it, but I applaud you.

David H.- What exactly makes you think we don’t have a fascist government right now? You’re telling me that Archer Mcdaniels and Monsanto and Exxon or Merck or any other number of powerful companies don’t control how things are done in this country? Seriously? Please explain in simple terms so I can finally understand.

Art- Real high class buddy.

JD.- see above

Too all of you have might be pissed at the Dems because they won’t let you tear up our own natural beauties for our blood-lust for more oil consider this- oil has been known to be a non-renewable resource for quite some time. Why don’t you place the blame on ALL of our leaders no matter what their party affiliation may be for not mandating a solution to this obviously predictable problem that should have been solved long ago. A free market works on a if it’s not broke don’t fix it model, and that’s why government and the people we elect should have the foresight to mandate and subsidize research into the very best clean, renewable energy(s) that could be possible. That is how you will come up with the good paying jobs that will last well into the future, not by building out-dated polluting oil refineries or nukeyouler plants. If you want to do some research on a very good prospect for such an energy, try looking up pond-scum biodiesel. Yup thats right. I seen a report on the news a while back and was pleasantly surprised at what I found out with just a little google action. All it needs is Co2 and sunlight, which we have plenty of. And best of all, it can be grown right in the desert, without using up any precious farm land. Hell, one day the technology could advance to where you might grow it right in your back yard. Oh and the price tag on the diesel, about 50$ a barrel, not to bad for starters compared to oil right now, and it would only get cheaper as the technolgy for production improves.

JimmyRussell- another whiner left winger.

Mr. Russell,

I wish I could explain basic economic and the free enterprise system to you in terms you could understand, but I am afraid that it is not possible. You are too engrossed is dogma to listen to reason.

No opinion I have comes from Sean Hannity or any other talk show host. Your comments regarding the corporations you have listed are too silly to merit a response. Let me guess you get you views from Ralph Nader or the Daily Kos? Just for once, try to use logic and see if your opinions make any sense.

How are these corporations controlling you? Are they coming to your home and putting a gun to your head to make you use your products? The companies are made or broken based on the decisions they make. They are neither moral nor immoral. It is immoral to dictate by force the financial, heath care, or energy decisions of consenting adults. It takes one huge ego to believe that you have the moral authority to override the decisions that millions of people make everyday. Why not let everyone live in freedom to succeed or fail based on their hard work and talents?

Jimmy thanks for the compliment. Patience really isn’t one of my virtues, I wish I had a lot more. You have to think of the name callers on these blogs as the dog poop in the path to enlightenment. You have to call attention to it so no one else steps in it, but at best it only fertilizes the weeds. They can’t even make up their minds about education. One moment they accuse you of being ignorant, the next they criticize you for being educated.

Bb the short course in single-payer universal health care is this. First look at the problem you’re trying to solve, if we can’t agree on the problem, we can’t agree on a solution. So tell me what YOU think are problems with our health care system and I’ll tell you why single-payer universal health care is a better answer. Bear in mind I don’t think any system is perfect. They all have problems. SPUHC is just the best answer so far. To show JUST ONE EXAMPLE-Canadians pay a fraction (roughly half) per capita to cover everyone in their country. We pay 15% of GDP for health care in the U.S. and rank below (in some cases far below) all the nations that have universal health care on every objective measurement of quality of health care. Based on longevity, infant mortality and birth weight, best practices followed, elimination of redundancy, cost of administration, all these areas and more, too long to even list are problems that SPUHC has addressed to better result than we have. You can point out individual cases or you can talk in general in discussing the problems, but we have to agree on the basic problems first. If you’ve already drunk the kool-aid that government is inherently evil, then we have to start at a more fundamental level. Without government intervention if you are 40 yrs. old in all likelyhood you would be dead. If you hope to live past 40 you need to be able to see that government is necessary. In many cases it is odious, troublesome, corrupt, unjust, and insufferable. Again nothing’s perfect, but government is society’s solution to problems too big for the private sector to handle. If you buy into the Libertarian, Ayn Rander’s, philosophy you have the train wreck of government we have now. Neo-cons who subscribe to the “that which governs best governs least” mantra were responsible for FEMA’s disaster response to Katrina. Before they got control of the agency and privatized the hell out of it, FEMA was effective (though still not perfect, and again I point out perfection is unattainable) in the recovery of Homestead Fla. after hurricane Andrew flattened it. David H. is one of those who hates government and firmly believes that everyone should make it on their own (see his latest comments). He’s forgotten that he’s benefitted by government influence that is ubiquitous. If everyone should make it on their own, then David H. are you prepared to stop using public streets, drinking sanitized water, eating food that has no health inspection process? Can you hold in your wastes or bury them in your yard? You certainly don’t believe in trash pickup or sewage systems. Of course you can’t. Can you give back your public education, after all you aren’t using it? We take all this and much more for granted and spoiled brats like David H. are allowed to rail against it, while taking advantage of every benefit that government has brought them. Why? Because they have the freedom to do so. That freedom comes from the commonly accepted unwritten social contract that we have with our forebears and our descendants to come to make the world a better place than we found it. You get bad government when people that don’t believe that get put in charge of government.

John H. can’t be entirely hopeless if he actually did what he said in his post about using photovoltaics and geothermal. That’s a sign that he thinks long-term which is a rarity in politics. But I note that as I write this he still hasn’t answered Going Green’s question. Photovoltaics will give you the most immediate savings and should therefore be installed first, they’ve increased in efficiency a lot lately so check into the efficiency rating of the product. David H. couldn’t do that as efficiency ratings are a product of government mandating industry to come up with a rating system. David H. can’t use any such benefit without losing his moral authority. See his latest postings. Geothermal will save you in the long run depending on if you remain on the grid, but startup costs are much higher not because of the equipment but because of he heat exchange field of piping. If you plan on living in the house for 10 or more years it’s worth it.

GG-have you planted blueberries? They are ornamental as well as easy to pick (no thorns and not much bending over). Drawback is you have to net them when they are in season otherwise you lose a lot to birds. But if you like them they have many uses in breads, pancakes and waffles, on cereal, pies, jams, jellies, and syrups, and are generally very healthful unless you are prone to kidney stones. They freeze and can well.

GG-I should have said geothermal will save you lots in the long run whether or not you stay on the grid. Its just that the savings are about one third to one half in operating costs if you stay on the grid.