One More Train Wreck

This time it's me!
I guess our Magical Misery Tour took more out of me than I thought. I was happy as a clam to take the accidental nap at 9PM...and happy to wake up, knock out the dishes and hit the hay at 11:30

This morning I woke to the 0600 alarm, turned it off, stretched and smiled, and then actually woke up at 0830. Now at 0900, I'm still feeling weary. Perhaps it's the reading material I digested before bed last night.

Last night I read several pundits' opinions on President Obama's Oval Office Speech on the BP Gulf Oil Spill. Pundits from both sides of the aisle ripped the President for the slothful Federal response to the disaster. There's plenty of blame for everyone involved.

Why are we drilling a mile deep in sensitive Gulf waters? Because since the 1969 Santa Barbara Blowout and Spill, the Federal Government has put more and more land and shallow water oil deposits Off Limits. I guess the thinking is: This will save sensitive eyes from seeing oil production (like keeping slaughter houses out of sight, out of mind) and as an added bonus, these regulations will drive the price of oil and transportation fuels high enough to give Alternative Energy a Leg Up.

Our last eight Presidents have all speechified about American Energy Independence and moving to Alternative Energy. Congress has authorized Billions in subsidies and research. President Obama didn't miss his opportunity Tuesday night to use the Gulf Oil Disaster to segue into his thoughts on Energy Independence, Alternatives to petroleum, Climate Change, and Green Jobs. He said we're running out of places to drill.

Not to put too fine a point on it but...the truth is we're running out of places to drill for oil that the Federal Government allows oil drilling. Worldwide, there isn't anywhere that a hole drilled for oil isn't first regulated and taxed by a Government Entity...it's been this way for most a Century!

Do you know that the USA is the World's Third Largest Oil Producer after Saudi Arabia #1, and Russia #2? This fact seems to be a "dirty little secret" given the relentless meme that we're running out of oil worldwide. There's more proven reserves worldwide than at any time in history! You never hear that on the Evening News! The drumbeat says: we're running out of oil, and we will replace it with Wind, Solar, and BioFuels.

No wonder I'm weary! What about Nuclear Energy? France makes most of their electricity with their Nuclear Powerplants. They reprocess their spent nuclear fuel which is against Federal Regulations here in America. In 1977, President Carter banned the Commercial Reprocessing of Spent Nuclear Fuel in America. In 1981, President Reagan lifted the ban, but Congress failed to appropriate the funds to start the industrial reprocessing industry.

Reprocessing is a synonym of Recycling. This year we celebrated the 40th Anniversary of Earth Day...I made it a point to watch the News Coverage on TV...lots of recycling stories...no reprocessing stories...

What of Solar Power? There's a battle brewing to stop a huge Commercial Solar Power Station in the Mojave Desert. Environmentalists don't favor the Transmission Lines needed to bring the Green Megawatts to population centers.

Wind Power? No, it kills migrating birds.

A large scale Windpower Project off Cape Cod is suffering another fate...NIMBY, Not In My Back Yard!

How about HydroPower? Save the fish. (I'm on board with this one...I like fish, and I dislike Waterskiing/HydroPower Reservoirs more than I like Wild Rivers and Wild Salmon!)

Natural Gas? See Petroleum Regs...

No wonder I'm weary...