Message from Robert Redford on energy security

by DCs Ghost 33 Replies latest jw friends

  • DCs Ghost
    DCs Ghost

    Dear Friend,

    It is understandable that we Americans feel an almost reflexive need for unanimity in trying times like these. As a nation, we are rightly consumed with responding to the terrorist attacks on September 11th. But, at some point -- and I think we're beginning to get there --we need to take a long-term view even as we are reacting to the current crisis. Really important domestic issues facing us before all of this happened -- education, energy and the environment, health care --still have the same dimension and consequence. But we have to recognize that it's much more difficult to discuss and debate them in the aftermath of Sept. 11th. Unfortunately, disagreement is sometimes characterized as unpatriotic during times such as these and open,thoughtful discourse is somewhat muted. The gravity of the current situation is not lost on any of us and we all want to do what's right to insure our national security. It is with this in mind that I feltcompelled to write you today.

    A handful of determined U.S. senators, encouraged by the WhiteHouse, are arguing that national security requires the Senate to rush a pro-oil energy bill into law. They have vowed to hold up normal Senatebusiness and attach the bill to every piece of legislation that comes to the Senate floor. So far they have failed in what The Boston Globeis calling "oil opportunism." But with President Bush, himself, now calling for rushed passage of this disastrous bill, intense pressure is building on Senate leaders to succumb to the emotions of themoment. Using our national tragedy as an opportunity to advance the narrow interests of the oil lobby would not be in the best interestof the public. This bill, already passed by the House, would not only open the Arctic Refuge to oil rigs, it would also pave the way for energy companies to exploit and destroy pristine areas of Greater Yellowstone and other gems of our natural heritage. As important, it would do nothing to address energy security.

    I'm asking for your immediate help in stopping this legislation.After reading my letter I hope you'll take action athttp://www.savebiogems.org/arctic/index.asp?src=ab0110a and then forward this letter to your friends and colleagues.

    Last spring, the Bush administration and some members of Congresssaid we had to pass the president's oil-friendly energy bill because we were facing the most serious energy crisis since 1973. But here weare, a mere six months later, and the energy crisis has vanished. Due to a slowing economy and falling demand, the prices for gasoline, natural gas and home heating oil have plunged. Meanwhile, themuch-feared "summer of blackouts" in California never happened, largely because consumers and businesses made dramatic cuts in energy use by launching the most successful statewide conservation campaign in history.

    With no energy crisis to scare us with, the administration and pro-oil senators are now promoting their "Drill the Arctic" plan under the guise of national security and energy independence. Don't buy it.

    Itwould take ten years to bring Arctic oil to market, and when it arrives it would never equal more than two percent -- a mere drop in the bucket -- of all the oil we consume each year. Our nation simplydoesn't have enough oil to drill our way to energy independence or even to affect world oil prices.We possess a mere 3 percent of the world's oil reserves, but we consume fully 25 percent of the world's oil supply. We could drill the Arctic Refuge, Greater Yellowstone, and every other wildland inAmerica and we'd still be importing oil, still be paying worldwide prices for domestic oil, and still be vulnerable to wild gyrations in price and supply. As The Atlanta Constitution put it: "Burningthrough our tiny oil supply faster will not make our country more secure."

    I'd go further: increasing our dependence on oil, whether that oilcomes from the Persian Gulf or the Arctic Refuge, practically guarantees national *insecurity*. And we know that it will bring more habitat destruction, more oil spills, more air pollution, and more globalwarming. The public health implications will be devastating.

    If our nation wants to declare energy independence, then we have no choice but to reduce our appetite for oil. There's no other way. We need to rely on smarter and cleaner ways to power our economy. We have the technology right now to increase fuel economy standards to 40miles per gallon. If we phased in that standard by 2012 we'd save 15 times more oil than the Arctic Refuge is likely to produce over 50 years. We could also give tax rebates for existing hybrid gas-electricvehicles that get as much as 60 mpg. We could invest in public transit. We could launch an "Apollo Project" to bring fuel cells and hydrogen fuel down to earth, allowing us to begin the mass productionof vehicles that emit only water as a by-product. The list goes on and on.

    In this climate of national trauma and war, it is up to us -- thepeople -- to ensure that reason prevails and our natural heritage survives intact. The preservation of irreplaceable wildlands like the Arctic Refuge and Greater Yellowstone is a core American value. Ihave never been more appreciative of the wisdom of that value than during these past few weeks. When we are filled with grief and unanswerablequestions it is often nature that we turn to for refuge and comfort. In the sanctuary of a forest or the vastness of the desert or the silence of a grassland, we can touch a timeless force larger thanourselves and our all-too-human problems. This is where the healing begins. Those who would sell out this natural heritage -- this spiritual heritage -- would destroy a wellspring of American strength.What's worse, their rush to exploit the wildness that feeds our souls won't do a thing to solve our energy problems.

    There are plenty of sensible and patriotic ways to guarantee our nation's energy security, but destroying the Arctic Refuge is notone of them. Please tell that to your senators. They urgently need to hear it because the pressure is on to move this pro-oil bill to a vote in the next few weeks. It will take you only a minute to send them an electronic message from NRDC's SaveBioGems website.

    Go to http://www.savebiogems.org/arctic/index.asp?src=ab0110a

    And please forward this message to your family and friends. Millions of Americans need to know about this cynical attempt to promote the interests of energy companies at the expense of everyone else.

    Sincerely yours,

    Robert Redford

  • DakotaRed
    DakotaRed

    LOL, I just love it when Liberals seek out Hollywood entertainiers to support their way of controlling others. What makes ones whose life is portraying fantasy worlds to the rest so qualified to speak for others?

    As a movie actor, Robert Redford is among the best. But, an energy consulatant?

    Incidentally, why are Barbara Streisand, Alec Baldwin, Rosie O'Donnell and others still livng in the US? Remember, they all stated emphatically they would leave the country if Bush were elected. yet, when Bush was elected, and make no mistake about it, he was elected, in spite of the debacle orchestrated by Democrites in Florida, they all remained, making millions each year while decrying others making their money.

    Liberals and the Watchtower, both just love controlling others!

    If God's Spirit is filling a Kingdom Hall, how is it that Satan can manuever the ones within that Kingdom Hall at the same time?

  • DakotaRed
    DakotaRed

    Here, instead of seeking out actors and other Hollywood elitists, why not try reading the policies for yourselves?

    http://www.energy.gov/HQPress/releases01/maypr/energy_policy.htm

    Requires Adobe Acrobat.

    If God's Spirit is filling a Kingdom Hall, how is it that Satan can manuever the ones within that Kingdom Hall at the same time?

  • Francois
    Francois

    There's so much crap and disinformation about energy independence I could just shit little green BBs.

    ANWR for instance. You never hear anyone saying anything honest about it except for the people in favor of it, and the mainstream media are certainly not going to report it. Imagine a two car garage. Now imagine a postage stamp. The postage stamp is to the garage what the proposed drilling area of ANWR is. Ever hear that before? Are you planning a vacation to ANWR sometime real soon? You like having your life controled by a bunch of camel jockies whose philosophy of life hovers somewhere around the 9th century? You wanna keep paying them money they can use to fund their own thermonuclear production?

    I suggest you turn the telescope around and look through the small end.

    As for Robert, Babs, Alec, and especially Rosie: who gives a good God-damn what they think? And anyone who would follow those jackasses deserves to get where they're going.

    Speachifying from the left. I'd rather listen to a cow fart. And the contents are so similiar.

    Francois

    NOTE TO GOVERNING BODY: You've been challenged to a debate, boys. Dont you have ANY balls?

  • Seeker
    Seeker
    When Bush was elected, and make no mistake about it, he was elected

    Only because the Supreme Court ran out the clock. When the final tally was made for Florida, Bush lost.

  • DCs Ghost
    DCs Ghost

    why does saving the environment produce such a hostile response?

    why is the idea of conservation and using updated technologies seem so liberal?

    personally i don't subscribe to celebrities in politics, but i do listen if someone says something that makes sense, i am no fan of RR but i won't turn a deaf ear to his thoughts, they make sense, much more sense than listening to a .gov that will selfishly promote the bill,

    it's only the other side of the pendalum and as long the hostility and sarcasm continues nothing will ever be resolved

    dc

    "we do not see the world as it is,
    we see the world as we are. . ." Anais Nin

  • larc
    larc

    The Feds have made laws to increase fuel efficiency in autos. The next thing they should do is outlaw mansions. Then the movie stars could help cut energy usage. What do you think these pontificating elite are going to sacrifice? Absolutely nothing.

  • DCs Ghost
    DCs Ghost

    you are absolutely right larc,
    (wink wink, nudge nudge)

    and these self-sacrificing law-makers should lead by example and give up the masions that they reside in,
    or do you honestly believe that they are living in section 8 homes?

    dc

    "we do not see the world as it is,
    we see the world as we are. . ." Anais Nin

  • Suzi
    Suzi

    As much as I LOVE paying over $100 a month to keep warm... I definitely have to say that some alternative form of energy needs to be perfected. By the same token I will be the first to say that this will never happen in my lifetime. Reason? Money. There's too much money to be made with inefficient energy companies. We'll be shooting ourselves in the foot by destroying the environment to attain a small margin of oil when we have a much more efficient energy: nuclear. I know I know.. oh my gawd, nuclear energy so scary. Atom bad, petrol good. Blah blah.

    Seriously, though. There are far more alternatives to petrol, which is a fossil fuel.. which means we have to wait for more fossils to develop before we can replenish our supply.

    Electricity which is man-made these days, or so I heard tell, is a good alternative. And every once in awhile it EVEN happens NATURALLY.
    Whoa. True, folks, I've seen it happen.

    Hydrogen is also getting to that harnessed phase. If we'd put the money into Hydrogen studies instead of drilling for a diminishing supply of an antiquated energy source, we'd have an energy running at 99% efficiency, and the only byproduct is water.

    Hemp (if the US would legalize the stupid plant again), makes a great fuel, a great fabric, and some damned skippy ropes. It's also great in brownies, or so I've heard. :)

    Those are just to name a few. Granted, we could always use more lemon freshness in our disinfectants, but I think lemons might be a good substitute for the man-made petroleum-based scent.
    Color me crazy.

    Suzi
    http://www.SmilingGoth.com

  • bitter mango
    bitter mango

    suzi's back?! OOooOOo . *waves at dc and suzi*

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