It is time to get serious

Dennis Miller of Langhorne had a guest opinion in the Bucks County Courier Times today (http://www.phillyburbs.com/news/local/courier_times_news/opinion/guest/unholy-alliance-perpetuates-warming-scam-delays-drilling/article_eddfbb7d-ef60-5a14-87bf-5b8fc38d72a0.html?success=1#user-comment-area). If you read it, I hope it made you feel sick. Miller’s piece is the kind of ridiculousness that needs to be vigorously and loudly denounced. Those of us who actually want to come together to solve problems cannot let this sort of nonsense get any traction. First of all, if you want to assert that global warming is a scam, then present some scientific information. The problem is, of course, that most of the scientific community supports the idea that we are changing the world in profound and dangerous ways. It also makes sense. The world is filled with interconnected systems, and if you throw one off there will be ripples through the whole system. Second, if we are going to have a fruitful conversation about energy policy, we need to have all the numbers on the table. Yes, about 70% of all energy sources are domestic. This includes hydroelectric, solar, etc. Only about 40% of our oil comes from domestic sources. Yes, Canada is the biggest supplier of oil, but we get plenty of oil from places like Nigeria, Mexico, Venezuela, and Saudi Arabia. Yes, there are oil reserves that are untapped, but they won’t last forever. If you are going to throw a couple of numbers out that support your argument and ignore the rest, then step aside and let serious folks work to solve the problems. We don’t need your input. Third, what is the problem with developing lots of sources of energy? If you are going to grouse about it, it would seem like you should say why. Developing renewable energy seems like a no brainer. Fourth, if we are going to talk about an issue, like whether this pipeline should be built, then we need to get some agreement on the parameters. How many jobs are we talking about? I’ve seen numbers ranging from thousands to ten. Ten jobs don’t seem like such a big deal. And how long do these jobs last? Where will this oil go? Some contend that it won’t be staying in the United States. How much energy are we using to get at this oil? This oil is ‘dirtier’ than oil from other sources, what does that mean? What harm, if any, is the pipeline going to do to natural habitats? Why should a vote be demanded? Many folks assert that the demand for a vote was a political move, and that the proposal wasn’t actually ready for consideration. It sounds good to say that jobs are more important than caribou, but it is meaningless. This isn’t about jobs versus caribou. If you don’t know the answers to these questions than you shouldn’t have an opinion on this. Mr. Miller’s position is ignorant and dangerous. I used to think that such things should just be ignored. But there is so much of it now, that I think we can no longer ignore it. We need to forcefully push it aside and make room for serious folks to come together in the spirit of cooperation and collaboration and really solve problems. Until this trash is moved out of the way, it just may not happen.