The Oil Drum

291 comments on The Politics of Oil: The Discourse Must Change

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GliderGuider on April 26, 2006 - 4:09pm

::Applause::

A most excellent piece! Where has it been sent so far?

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Yankee on April 26, 2006 - 5:44pm

We are hoping to send it to every blog, MSM outlet, politician, local activist group we can think of. Please feel free to take the pdf and pass it on!

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Leanan on April 26, 2006 - 6:08pm

Might I suggest a PDF that's really meant for printing? IMVHO, there's no point in a PDF meant for Web use, because HTML is better for that. Everyone hates PDFs.

PDFs are meant for printing, which means those nice blue links won't be clickable.

Sadly, snail-mail still carries a lot more weight with politicians than those new-fangled "computer letters." Not least because it takes more time and effort to send. And it proves you're willing to shell out for a stamp - which gives you more credibility, at least according to some. ;-)

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Super G on April 26, 2006 - 6:16pm

A version without links is available at
http://www.theoildrum.com/politics_of_oil_printable.pdf

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Leanan on April 26, 2006 - 6:29pm

Thanks. I'll be sending it to my Congresscritters.

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Liam on April 26, 2006 - 10:14pm

Do, Leanan, but also to anyone with actual power. I've found recents arguments for lobbying individuals in big business convincing. Corp statements on cost overruns suggest many are already feeling the impacts, and those magnificnt engines of selfinterest must eventually notice that official optimism is no guide to real trading conditions, or founder.

Applause for oildrum.com pushing a united agenda, but I have reservations about the statements conservatism. I think our situation so precarious and course so fixed that the program advocated would have no hope of succeeding in the time available.
Would new energy techs still have to compete against extraction-cost fossil fuels? Would culture still promote hyper consumption and material accumulation thru misreprentation? Would we still tax effort more than resource use? These are not details that can be worked out later, they are the first real turns of the ships wheel and the measures you mention would have little prospect of making a difference in the 2? decades we might have without them.

Of course you weren't laying out a program, just trying to improve the debate, ahem, soapbox stowed. But i do think underselling the effort reqd is a mistake. People will say its unthinkable, till gas goes up another 50%. Local radio last week had a talkback dj frantic with "well what will we use??" when Royal Auto Club flack told her oil will peak sometime 2008-2020 (he hasn't said it again). There are teaching moments opening up all over.

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mikey on April 26, 2006 - 7:59pm

I like your press release a lot. I'm appalled to learn there's a proposal to suspend the gas tax. No doubt they'll pay for it with more debt. Seems to be the fashion nowadays -- when there's a "touch choice" just pass it off onto the tax payers of next year. Seriously, I'm not sure why they don't just go all the way and cancel all taxes and just print money and borrow.

BTW I'm wondering whether it's a problem that the press release is, in a way, anonymous. People who are familiar with TOD know it has a lot of credibility; but for someone who hasn't heard of it, the impact might be lessened quite a bit by the fact that it's an anonymous press release.

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